WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) today wrote to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urging it not to take any steps to weaken existing rules under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The Senators sent their letter following the Commission's announcement that it will begin an ahead-of-schedule review of  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, issued the following news release: Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) last week introduced legislation that would require states to report information about abortion to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including cases where infants are born alive during abortions. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), James Lankford (R  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on financial exploitation about protecting elderly or disabled veterans. The report (GAO-20-109) is titled "Veterans Benefits: Actions VA Could Take to Better Protect Veterans from Financial Exploitation". The report was sent to Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, chairman, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep. Mark Takano, D-California, chairman, and Rep. Phil Roe, R-T  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Oct. 4 -- Rep. Timothy Burchett, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Throughout this week, the House Intelligence Committee questioned members of the Trump Administration in regards to a recent whistleblower complaint. Due to this investigation's implications for the impeachment inquiry into President Trump, and the questionable connection between Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and the whistleblower, Congressman Tim Burchett released the following   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tennessee, issued the following testimony at the Middle Tennessee public comment hearing on Tennessee's Medicaid block grant proposal: * * * - "History may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes." - attributed to Mark Twain * * * "Let's be completely honest. Tennessee is one of the unhealthiest states in America and we lead the nation in per capita hospital closings. Both of these tragedies are partly the result of our refusal to expand Medicaid. And   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tennessee, issued the following statement on the White House nomination of Agriculture General Counsel Stephen Vaden to the U.S. Court of International Trade: "The nomination of Stephen Vaden to the U.S. Court of International Trade is good news for our system of justice. "Stephen Vaden has done an excellent job serving the administration and our nation's farmers as General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture. "I know that if confirmed, he wil  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following column: Does this sound familiar? "The evidence is pretty clear that there was collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on November 17, 2018. On September 21, 2017, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said, "Here you have a president who I can tell you, I guarantee you, is in collusion with the Russians to undermine our democracy." When Special Counsel Robert Mueller released h  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following statement after the Agriculture Department's Rural Development announced a loan of $404,500 to the Greene County Office of Emergency Communications: "Ensuring our emergency operators are using the most current technology is absolutely vital for emergency calls to be effectively routed to our first responders. "Greene County's emergency communication system is in need of updating, so I am very pleased to see the county recei  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following statement after the Justice Department announced $94,479 grants to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Johnson City Police Department, Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, Kingsport Police Department, Morristown Police Department and Greene County Sheriff's Office: "Ensuring our law enforcement officers have the most current equipment and technology they need when serving East Tennessee plays a vital role in keeping our com  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following statement praising the implementation of the MISSION Act, following a House Veterans' Affairs subcommittee on Health oversight hearing and the release of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. nationwide Our Care survey: "Successful rollouts of new government programs are never easy. However, as a bipartisan group of lawmakers recognized during a Committee hearing last week, VA has done a tremendous job putting the MISS  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, and Bethany Flora, President of the Northeast State Community College, released the following statements after the Education Department selected Northeast State to receive $450,000 in Title III grants: "Northeast State Community College has invested time and resources into the students of East Tennessee, and this grant will help Northeast State by providing additional funds needed to further promote student success. I appreciate Dr. Flora's lead  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Oct. 2 -- Reps. Timothy Burchett, R-Tennessee, and Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following statements after the Labor Department announced a $499,999 grant to the Helen Ross McNabb Center: Burchett said: "East Tennessee communities have been hit hard by the opioid crisis. "Luckily, the folks over at Helen Ross McNabb Center are doing great work to help those recovering from addiction, including through its Jail to Work program. This award ensures the Center is able   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following statements with Reps. Larry Bucshon, R-Indiana, and Andy Harris, R-Maryland, after sending a bipartisan letter led by Reps. Ami Bera, D-California, and Bucshon, signed by 23 of their colleagues, including 13 members of the GOP Doctors Caucus, to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma in opposition to a provision in the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. "Under the physician fee   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Reps. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, and Tim Burchett, R-Tennessee, issued the following statements after the Labor Department announced a $499,999 grant awarded to the Helen Ross McNabb Center: Roe said: "Our communities in East Tennessee are being ravaged by the opioid epidemic. Our state suffered 1,856 opioid-related deaths in Tennessee in 2018, which is more than the number of people who died in car accidents. "Prevention and treatment are key to saving lives, and the Helen   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Reps. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, and Kim Schrier, D-Washington, issued the following statements on the Improving Provider Directories Act (H.R.4575), which will increase the accuracy of the information listed on health plan provider directories to protect patients from surprise out-of-network bills: Roe said: "Inaccurate provider directories can result in costly medical bills for patients who are acting responsibly and trying to stay in their network. "As a physician for o  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, ranking Republican member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: * * * - Encourage All Members to Participate in the Veterans History Project * * * Today, Ranking Member Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) challenged all Members of Congress to participate in the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project (VHP) before this year's Veterans Day (November 11, 2019). By asking Membe  more