WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report (GAO-20-330) is entitled "Immigration Detention: Care of Pregnant Women in DHS Facilities". The report was sent to Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, chairwoman of the Oversight and Reform, Rep. Karen Bass, D-California, Rep. Nanette Barragan, D-California, Rep. Don Beyer, D-Virginia, Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-California, Rep. Andre Carson, D-In  more

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, ranking Republican member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following statement encouraging the Veterans Affairs and Treasury departments to continue working together to expedite processing of stimulus payments for veterans without any further delay: Last week, VA and the Treasury announced that veterans who receive compensation and pension benefits from VA but who are not required to file an annual federal tax return would   more

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Rep. Phil Roe M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, released the following statement encouraging the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to continue working together to expedite processing of stimulus payments for veterans without any further delay. Last week, VA and the Treasury announced that veterans who receive compensation  more

WASHINGTON, April 21 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, ranking Republican member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Ranking Member Dr. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) and Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) sent a bipartisan letter with to Secretary Wilkie calling on VA to postpone their planned elimination of the 48-hour review period in the disability claims process and work with Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) to consider alter  more

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- Rep. Timothy Burchett, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: This afternoon, Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) voted for H.R. 266, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. This legislation funds programs, such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), that are helping small businesses in East Tennessee and around the country deal with the COVID-19 economic fallout. H.R. 266 also provides financial  more

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- Rep. Stephen Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following statement: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced that Memphis Health Center Inc. will receive a $3,758,920 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services. "Memphis Health Center and other community health centers are on the front lines as the coronavirus pandemic spreads through our region. "This funding is especially important and timely as we see growing evidence of the virus disproportionately affect  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, April 22 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Aviation, wrote Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) Stephen Dickson and Deputy Administrator Daniel K. Elwell requesting that funding to airports provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act be suspended until an equitable funding formula can be found. Con  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, April 21 -- Rep. Stephen Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following statement: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) recognized Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, as he prepared to return to Washington to vote on a fourth coronavirus response bill this week. The observance begins at sundown. As a state senator, Cohen sponsored, and the Tennessee General Assembly passed, legislation to create the Tennessee Holocaust Commission. Cohen served as an ex-officio member of the commiss  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, April 22 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) sent email notifications to constituents to ensure they are aware of Wednesday's noon deadline for claiming supplement payments for eligible dependents for those receiving Social Security, survivor or disability and Railroad Retirement. See the letter below: * * * Dear Friend, I wanted to send an urgent note to those who receive Social Security, survivor or disabi  more

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) returned to Washington and voted for a $484 billion response to the coronavirus pandemic with aid concentrated on small businesses and hospitals. This is the fourth bill Congress has passed to address the crisis that devotes $60 billion for loans to small businesses, such as minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned enterprises. In addition, the bill provides $60 billion  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 24 -- Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tennessee, issued the following statement after he voted for the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 266): "This is the latest COVID-19 relief effort, which follows the largest economic relief bill in America's history. "It is a very important bill that we need to protect us and help the people and small businesses that are hurting right now. "We also know that it doesn't help everyone or every small business t  more

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tennessee, issued the following statement on the House passage of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act: "More small businesses will finally be able to gain access to the Paycheck Protection Program to pay workers and keep their doors open. "I remain committed to helping the workers and small business owners of East Tennessee as we face these uncertain times together as a community and as a nation."  more

WASHINGTON, April 21 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Rep. Green led a group of members of Congress in urging the Treasury Department and Small Business Administration that coronavirus relief programs such as the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) follow past Federal precedents, and not exclude Tennessee's small colleges who are currently disqualified because of student workers. Green said, "EIDLs, the Mid-Size Busine  more

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: This week, Rep. Green will introduce the SOS ACT (Secure Our Systems Against China's Tactics) to incentivize America's investors to purchase distressed companies critical to America's national security. Rep. Green is calling on Congress to include this bill in any future coronavirus relief package to thwart China's efforts to strategically acquire companies critical to America's defense during the crisis.   more

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tennessee, issued the following statement: Rep. David Kustoff (TN-08) issued the following statement regarding the announcement that $233,812 in grant funding was awarded to Lauderdale County Community Hospital. This funding is part of Governor Bill Lee's $10 million relief package to support Tennessee's small and rural hospitals. "The coronavirus has placed a serious burden on West Tennessee's small and rural hospitals. This necessary funding will  more

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tennessee, issued the following statement after the House passage of the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act: This legislation provides additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program which ran out on April 16, increased COVID-19 testing, and added support for hospitals. "The Paycheck Protection Program has helped West Tennessee small businesses get back on their feet and keep their employees on payroll. The restorati  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, April 22 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following statement: Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), released the following statement after the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that certain federal benefit recipients who weren't required to file a tax return in 2018 or 2019 - and have dependents - must complete a simple tax return on IRS.gov by noon EDT April 22 in order to quickly receive the additional $500 in economic relief payments for each claimed depend  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the announcement of the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of the Treasury that eligible veterans who do not file income taxes do not need to file a tax return in order to receive stimulus check: "I am pleased to learn today that all eligible veterans will be able receive their stimulus check - regardless of whether or not they have filed a ta  more

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following column: Over the past several weeks, our nation and our state mobilized an unprecedented response to the coronavirus, and we made tremendous progress in slowing the spread of this virus. Based on this progress, Governor Lee announced this week that the Safer at Home Order for the state of Tennessee will expire on April 30. According to the governor, businesses in most counties across the state can reopen, with some busines  more

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, ranking Republican member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: The U.S. Senate passed H.R. 6322, legislation that will allow student veterans to continue receiving certain education and training benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would be reduced or halted due to programs unable to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. The House and Senate versions of this legislation were intro  more

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressmen Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and Jerry Nadler, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, wrote to Attorney General William Barr seeking clarification of, and documents supporting, the President's claim that he has "the right to do a lot of things that people don't even know about" in response to the ongoi  more

MARYVILLE, Tennessee, April 24 -- Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement on April 23 on the 2018 results released from the Nation's Report Card: "These results from the 'Nation's Report Card' are sobering. They remind us that the worst scores for American high school students often are not in science and math, but in United States history. And, if our children do not learn United States history, t  more

MARYVILLE, Tennessee, April 25 -- Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on April 24: United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said "more help is on the way" for Tennesseans in the fight against COVID-19, after President Trump signed into law a bill the Senate passed Tuesday that provides an additional $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program to continue to make loans, $75 billion for hospitals, and $25 billion to strengthen testing. "According to t  more

MARYVILLE, Tennessee, April 22 -- Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said that the Senate has "pulled out all the stops" to help increase COVID-19 diagnostic testing in order to contain the disease and give Americans the confidence to go back to work and back to school. Senator Alexander made his remarks after the Senate pass  more

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said that the Senate has "pulled out all the stops" to help increase COVID-19 diagnostic testing in order to contain the disease and give Americans the confidence to go back to work and back to school. Senator Alexander made his remarks after the Senate passed legislation containing provisions he co-authored with Senate health appropriati  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 21 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on April 20: Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) will introduce the Stop China-Originated Viral Infectious Diseases (COVID) Act to ensure the Chinese Communist Party faces consequences for its role in spreading the coronavirus. The Stop COVID Act will empower Americans to sue China in U.S. court and seek compensation for the devastating harm the deadly virus has c  more

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representatives Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) and Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) urged President Trump to quickly approve Governor Lee's request for a major disaster declaration to help Tennessee counties impacted by severe storms on April 12-13. "At least four Tennesseans lost their lives, and 29 Tennesseans  more