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U.S. Congressional Tipoffs Involving Tennessee Newsletter for Sunday December 17, 2023 ( 29 items )  

Blackburn Leads Inquiry On Scrubbed Webpage That Details Taxpayer-Funded Union Activities
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) today led 9 Senate colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Office of Personal Management (OPM) over the decision to scrub a webpage that has long documented "official time," the amount of taxpayer-funded time spent by the federal workforce on labor union activities. The Senators argue that this webpage is critical for congressional oversight and request information o  more

Blackburn Leads Tennessee Delegation In Urging Swift Approval Of Disaster Declaration Following Deadly Tornadoes
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) led a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden urging him to swiftly approve Governor Bill Lee's request for a major disaster declaration. The severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in Middle Tennessee caused 6 fatalities and dozens of injuries, produced significant damage to nearly 1,900 homes, and completely destroyed over 500 homes. Senator B  more

Blackburn To Space Force General: Is The U.S. Prepared For Space Warfare?
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - In light of the recent report that an Israel-downed Houthi ballistic missile was the first instance of space warfare, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is requesting an update from U.S. Space Force General Saltzman on the United States' capacity to defend the itself in this emerging age of space warfare. With Israel's Downing Of A Houthi Ballistic Missile In Space, A New Theat  more

Congressman Cohen Announces Rural Development Grant to Combat Sickle Cell Disease in the Delta Region
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will receive a Rural Development grant of $364,502 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for technical assistance and training to combat sickle cell disease in the Delta region, and to improve communication between health care professionals. Congressman Cohen made the followin  more

Congressman Cohen Hails Senate Passage of his National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today hailed the Senate passage of his National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act. Earlier this week, Congressman Cohen managed the House debate and consideration of this important legislation. Now, after being approved by both chambers of Congress, Congressman Cohen's bill will go to President Biden to be signed into law.  When enacted, the National Guard and R  more

Congressman Cohen Highlights Infrastructure Investments at Highway and Transit Hearing
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- 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 questioned U.S. Department of Transportation administrators at a hearing on oversight of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).  Congressman Cohen noted that since the bipartisan infrastructure law was signed into law in late 2021, it has sent $6.2 billion to Tennessee and $140.2 million i  more

Congressman Cohen Questions GSA about Naming Process for New FBI Headquarters
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today questioned witnesses at a hearing on the General Services Administration selection of a Maryland site for the new FBI headquarters. Congressman Cohen in February reintroduced his legislation to remove the name of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover from the current FBI headquarters building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington and said any new headquarters s  more

Congressman Cohen Speaks from the Floor and Votes on his National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act of 2023
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today managed the floor debate and then voted for his National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act that extends for four more years the exemption from the bankruptcy code's means test for certain members of the National Guard and reservists. Congressman Cohen led the effort to exempt members of the National Guard and reservists in 2008 and extensions of the exemptio  more

Congressman Cohen Urges Congressional Colleagues to Support Aid to Ukraine and Israel
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- 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, went to the House floor tonight to urge his colleagues to support aid to Ukraine as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to Washington to lobby lawmakers for the survival of his country. He also urged Speaker Mike Johnson to bring aid to Israel to a floor vote without conditions. In   more

Congressman Cohen Urges Speaker Johnson to Postpone Monday Night Votes so Members Can Attend White House Hanukkah Reception
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson, urging him to postpone Monday night votes to accommodate Members attending tonight's Hanukkah Reception at the White House. Votes were postponed on December 4 to allow members to attend a Christmas reception at the White House. After sending the letter, Congressman Cohen made the following statement: "This is a particularly sensitive time  more

Cotton, Colleagues Condemn "From the River to the Sea" Slogan as an Antisemitic Call for the Destruction of Israel
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, issued the following news release: Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), along with 17 of his colleagues, today introduced a resolution condemning the slogan, "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free." The resolution also states that the slogan and its derivations are a call for the genocide of Jewish people and the destruction of the Jewish state. Co-sponsoring the resolution are Senators Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), John Barrasso (R-Wyo  more

Hagerty and Sinema Probe Financial Regulators' Policies for Sexual Harassment Complaints
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Press FDIC and other agencies on their policies and use of taxpayer funds to suppress complaints WASHINGTON--United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today sent a letter to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chair Marty Gruenberg, and Actin  more

Hagerty, Blackburn, Colleagues Demand Answers on Scrubbed Webpage That Details Taxpayer-Funded Union Activities
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: KNOXVILLE, TN--United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), today joined Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with eight other Senate Republican colleagues, in sending a letter to the U.S. Office of Personal Management (OPM) over the decision to scrub a webpage that has long documented "official ti  more

Hagerty, Blackburn, TN Delegation Urge Swift Approval of Disaster Declaration Following Deadly Tornadoes
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04), Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), John Rose (R-TN-06), Mark Green (R-TN-07), David Kustoff (R-TN-08), and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), today sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to swiftly approve Governor B  more

Hagerty, Braun, Marshall Introduce Legislation to Increase Transparency Between Bank Regulators and NGOs
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Mike Braun (R-IN), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Banking Regulator International Reporting Act, legislation to increase transparency and Congressional oversight between U.S. banking regulators and certain influential international Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) by requiring an annual report from regulators  more

Hagerty, Colleagues Urge Biden Admin to Protect American Jobs, Remove Retaliatory Tariffs on Whiskey and Spirits
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Todd Young (R-IN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Rand Paul (R-KY), along with 12 other Senate Colleagues, in sending a letter to U.S Ambassador Katherine Tai urging the Biden Administration to act quickly to protect the millions of U.S. jobs that rely on American whiskey and spirits producers. Without urgent action, the Europe  more

Hagerty, Grassley, Colleagues Demand Changes to Biden Admin Rule Endangering Safety and Wellbeing of Unaccompanied Alien Children
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Negligent vetting standards and whistleblower muzzle provisions make federal guidelines for unaccompanied minors 'wholly unworkable' WASHINGTON--United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), along with 37 other Senate Republican colleagues, in sending a letter calling on the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to overhaul it  more

Hagerty, Risch, Colleagues Urge Biden Admin to Hold Former Argentinian Vice President Accountable
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- 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, today joined Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), Ranking Member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Marco Rubio (R-FL), in sending a letter to President Joe Biden urging his Administration to take immediate steps to hold accountable Cristina Elisabet Fernand  more

Hagerty, Rubio, Rick Scott Introduce Legislation Mandating Chinese Financial Firms Use Auditors Without Communist Ties
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Rep. Elise Stefanik is leading the effort in the U.S. House of Representatives WASHINGTON--United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Rick Scott (R-FL) yesterday introduced the Trusted Foreign Auditing Act, legislation to protect U.S investors and capital by requiring Chinese companies to use independent auditors not controlled by the Communist Party. Representative Elise Stefanik  more

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Green Issues Commentary to Newsweek: 'The Biden Administration Just Keeps Making Our Border Crisis Worse'
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following commentary to Newsweek on Dec. 15, 2023: * * * House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) published an op-ed in Newsweek on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' widespread failure to detain illegal immigrants using Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention resources in accordance with their intended pu  more

House Homeland Security Committee Members Green, D'Esposito on House Unanimous Passage of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Reauthorization
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following news release: House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) and Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY) released the following joint statement after the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed Chairman D'Esposito's legislation yesterday, the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Exten  more

House Homeland Security Committee Members Green, Pfluger Request Classified Briefing From DHS, FBI on Foreign Threats Against Dissidents on U.S. Soil
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following news release: House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) and Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) requested a classified staff-level briefing from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on ongoing transnational repression threats, incl  more

HSI, FBI, Secret Service, Home Depot, More Detail Disturbing Rise in Organized Retail Crime
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: This week, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, led by Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX), held a hearing to examine the impact organized retail crime (ORC) has on American businesses and communities across the country. Testimony was provided by key witnesses from the federal law enforc  more

New Report Reveals Nearly $2 Billion Funneled To Big Abortion Providers
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new U.S. Government Accountability (GAO) study released in response to a request from U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) reveal that nearly $2 billion in federal taxpayer funding has been funneled to big abortion providers between FY2019-FY2021. Planned Parenthood received $1.78 billion, which includes $90.4 million that the organization i  more

Now Nobody Crosses Without Paying: Senior Border Patrol Agents Describe Unprecedented Cartel Control at Southwest Border
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 14, 2023: * * * House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) issued the following statement after the Committee released additional portions of transcribed interviews conducted with the U.S. Border Patrol chief patrol agents responsible for the sectors along the Southwest border. In the interviews, Border Patrol leadership conf  more

Rep. Rose Denounces Using NDAA as Vehicle to Warrantlessly Spy on Americans
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Rep. John Rose, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Washington, DC--Today, U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-06) voted 'No' on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, the bill that authorizes programs for the United States' national defense, Defense Department, and related programs. The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2024 included a poison pill provision that granted an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (  more

Representatives Cohen, Larsen, Stanton and Colleagues Write to Airlines for America regarding Mishandling Wheelchairs
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressmen Steve Cohen (TN-9), Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee Rick Larsen (WA-2), Ranking Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Greg Stanton (AZ-4), Vice Ranking Member of the Committee and all Democratic Committee Members have sent a letter to Airlines for America (A4A) President and CEO Nicholas Calio expressing concern and dismay regarding the continued trend of misha  more

SW Border Sector Chiefs Confirm Many Illegal Aliens Now Turn Themselves in Amid Mayorkas Catch-and-Release Policies
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- 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) issued the following statement after the Committee released more selections from transcribed interviews conducted with Border Patrol chief patrol agents responsible for the sectors along the Southwest border. In the interviews, the agents confirm that more illegal aliens are turning t  more

VIDEO: Senator Blackburn Addresses Deadly Middle TN Storms On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - On the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) addressed the deadly storms that hit Middle Tennessee this weekend. Click to download or view. "In Tennessee, our hearts are absolutely breaking for the families and the communities that have been impacted by the storms that have raced across our state this weekend. And we are mourning the loss of six Tennesseans,   more