Tag: Lamar Alexander

Journalists Author New Book Detailing the Last Half-Century of Scandal at the Tennessee Capitol

Tennessee Star Staff

Journalists-turned-authors Erik Schelzig and Joel Ebert join host Michael Patrick Leahy and all-star panelist Clint Brewer in-studio on Thursday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss Schelzig and Ebert’s new book, Welcome to Capitol Hill: 50 years of Scandal. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: Good morning, Nashville; it’s 6:06 a.m. We’re broadcasting live from our studios on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. Boy, do we have an hour for you this morning. Our all-star panelist and all-around good guy, recovering journalist, Clint Brewer is here. Clint, good morning. Clint Brewer: Good morning, Mike. Michael Patrick Leahy: We’re glad to have you here. And a special day for us, two journalists long standing here have written a book about all the hijinks up at Capitol Hill here in Tennessee since 1972. It’s going to be published by Vanderbilt University Press on August 15th. Joel Ebert, welcome to The Tennessee Star Report. Joel Ebert: Thanks for having me. Michael Patrick Leahy: We’re glad to have you and Erik Schelzig. Welcome. Erik Schelzig:  Good morning. Thanks for having us. Michael Patrick Leahy: We’ll move you a little bit closer to the microphone there, Erik. So let’s start with Erik, your background – you…

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Tennessee’s Congressional Delegation Members Say Whether They Support Donald Trump’s Call For A Fair Election

Chris Butler

Most members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation support U.S. President Donald Trump and his call for a fair and transparent election.

Trump, a Republican, said he believes voter fraud put his opponent Joe Biden, a Democrat, over the top in certain battleground states after a close election.

But U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) said in a newsletter to his constituents Sunday that Trump’s statements are false and baseless.

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New Poll Seems to Contradict U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander on Surprise Medical Billing

Chris Butler

Members of the Washington, D.C.-based Taxpayer Protection Alliance (TPA) have released a new poll about surprise medical billing that apparently rebukes U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and his position on the matter.

As The Tennessee Star reported last year, surprise medical billing happens when a patient receives out-of-network care without his or her knowledge – either in an emergency or during a visit to an in-network facility. Weeks later, insurance companies send bills demanding patients pay money for services they assumed insurance would cover.

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Lamar Alexander Weighs in on Replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) on Sunday shared his thoughts on U.S. President Donald Trump’s intent to replace U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Ginsburg died Friday.

Alexander also weighed in on U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) announcement that the Senate will vote on that nomination.

This, according to a press release that Alexander shared on his Facebook page.

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Dr. Manny Sethi to Supporters: Continue the Fight

Laura Baigert

At about 9 p.m. Dr. Manny Sethi gave his concession speech to several hundred people just down the road from where he grew up in Coffee County, telling supporters three separate times to continue the fight.

With 15 people in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Lamar Alexander, Sethi got about 240,000 votes or 40 percent of the vote against the winner Bill Hagerty with just over 300,000 votes or 50 percent.

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Sen. Rand Paul Says Sen. Marsha Blackburn ‘Must be Confused’ About Ad He Cut for Manny Sethi

Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Monday that U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) misunderstood him when he faulted Republicans who represent Tennessee in one or both houses of Congress and said they vote like Democrats.

Paul suggested to The Tennessee Star Monday that he had criticized another prominent Tennessee Republican —not Blackburn.

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Lamar Alexander Introduces Bill to Prepare for the Next Pandemic

Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, who also chairs the Senate Health Committee, this week introduced the Preparing for the Next Pandemic Act.

According to a press release that Alexander’s staff published on his website, the legislation “will maintain sufficient onshore manufacturing for tests, treatments and vaccines, and rebuild state and federal stockpiles of supplies like masks and ventilators.”

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Manny Sethi Releases New Ad Addressing What He Calls Liberal Hypocrisy on COVID-19 Restrictions

Chris Butler

U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi released a new ad Thursday entitled “Leftwing Lockdown.”

“For the last three months liberals said social distancing is so important, you deserve to be arrested if you go out to eat or go to church with too many people. They destroyed small businesses and ruined lives,” Sethi said in an emailed press release.

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Lamar Alexander Lays Out Ways for Students to Return to School After COVID-19

Chris Butler

Senate Health and Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee) said students safely going back to public and private schools in the fall “will help our country take its surest step toward normalcy.”

Alexander said this on Wednesday during the Senate Health and Education Committee hearing — “COVID-19: Going Back to School Safely.” The hearing featured witnesses from across the country who are on the ground working to help students go back to school in the fall safely.

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Bill Hagerty Says He Stands with Law Enforcement Officers

Chris Butler

U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty said Monday that he will continue to support law enforcement officials and their full funding.

This, after Minneapolis officials pledged to dismantle their police department.

“Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every single day to keep our communities safe. They are the only thing standing between anarchy and law and order,” Hagerty said in a press release on his campaign’s website.

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Lamar Alexander Discusses When and How Colleges Can Reopen Safely

Chris Butler

Senate Health and Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) this week said “the question for administrators of 6,000 colleges and universities is not whether to reopen in August, but how to do it safely.”

Alexander made his remarks during this week’s Senate Health and Education Committee hearing — “COVID-19: Going Back to College Safely” — which featured college and university presidents discussing their work to help students go back to school in the fall as safely as possible.

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Tennessee Economist and Others Urge Donald Trump and Congress Not to Impose Price Controls to Fix Surprise Medical Billing Problem

Chris Butler

Members of the Washington, D.C.-based Taxpayers Protection Alliance have released a letter ripping politicians’ proposals to set price controls for health care coverage.

Several academics from around the country attached their names to the letter, including the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga economics professor Bruce Hutchinson. These economists compose a group called the Coalition Against Rate Setting.

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Senator Lamar Alexander to Chair COVID-19 Hearing Tuesday

Chris Butler

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said Sunday that someone could potentially test themselves for COVID-19 using something as seemingly mundane as a lollipop.

Alexander said this on NBC’s Meet the Press.

“You might be able to put a lollipop in your mouth with a swab and take a picture of it with your cell phone. If it lights up then you’re positive,” Alexander told host Chuck Todd, while referring to one potential breakthrough.

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Some Senate Republicans Might Not Go Along with Lamar Alexander on Surprise Medical Billing

Chris Butler

Some Republicans in the U.S. Senate are reportedly drifting toward another surprise medical billing proposal, one that differs from what U.S. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee has to offer.

This, according to ModernHealthcare.com, which reported some of these Republican senators have competitive re-election races this year.

“As a May 22 deadline to fund expiring healthcare programs gets closer, several vulnerable GOP senators have announced their support for a surprise billing proposal pushed by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) that has been shelved by committee leadership. Sens. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) announced their support for Cassidy’s bill on Feb. 11, and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) followed suit on March 3,” according to the website.

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Sen. Lamar Alexander Says ‘No’ to Impeachment Witnesses

Zachery Schmidt

In a statement released late Thursday, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said he will vote against having witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Alexander was one of four Republican senators that Democrats were trying to convince to support extending impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate for at least another week in order to call the witnesses the House of Representatives failed to prior to delivering Articles of Impeachment two weeks ago.

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Three Tennessee Congressional Members Sent a Letter to President Trump Asking Him to Support Gov. Lee’s Federal Aid Request

Zachery Schmidt

  Tennessee’s Senators Lamar Alexander and Marsha Blackburn, along with Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07), sent a letter to President Donald Trump Monday asking him to support Gov. Bill Lee’s federal aid request for a major disaster declaration. “The storms that swept across the State of Tennessee beginning on October 26th cost two Tennesseans their lives, blew over seven commercial tractor-trailers, shutdown the Tennessee River Bridge on Interstate I-40 for several hours, left nearly 65,000 Tennesseans without power, and closed down nine school districts for nearly a week,” the letter states. Last month, Lee petitioned the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to use its Public Assistance Program on 10 Tennessee counties that experienced almost $22 million in damage after Tropical Storm Olga hit. During his announcement to seek federal disaster relief, Lee described how emergency workers worked “tirelessly” during the storm and how this money would help “lessen the financial burden” on Tennessee. Lee said the relief would go to emergency work done “during and after the response.” The Republican Congressional members’ letter “strongly urged” the president to considers Tennessee’s request “as soon as possible.” According to the letter, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has worked with the FEMA since the…

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