Marsha Blackburn Archives - Tennessee Star

Marsha Blackburn Urges Congress to Reject Price Controls on Surprise Medical Billing

December 14, 2020December 13, 2020 Chris Butler

The Washington, D.C.-based Taxpayers Protection Alliance has accused big insurance companies of trying to push a bill through Congress that aims to ban Surprise Medical Bills and said “they’re really just lining their own pockets.” TPA members, in their ad, said that Congressional efforts to address Surprise Medical Billing are really just “a handout to the big insurance companies that would leave our frontline doctors out in the cold.”

Marsha Blackburn Introduces Legislation to Defund Businesses Linked to the Chinese Military

December 13, 2020December 12, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has introduced legislation to prohibit U.S. pension investments in Chinese companies. This, according to a press release that Blackburn’s staff emailed this week.

Senator Blackburn: Democrats Are Working with Us to Pass COVID-19 Relief

December 4, 2020December 3, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) shared that the current COVID-19 relief bill is a bipartisan effort closer to $1 trillion. The senator explained in a press conference Thursday that the move is favored by Democratic legislators over efforts by House Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

“The good thing is that there are Democrats that have said to Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Schumer that they think it is wrong to hold out for a $3 trillion dollar deal, and saddle our future generations with that debt. So they’re working with some Republicans on a bill that is closer to a trillion dollars. So, the bill that we as a Republican conference had agreed on was about a $600 billion bill.”

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

November 9, 2020November 8, 2020 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.

Tennessee’s Top Republicans Request Two Things: Vote Tuesday and Recruit Your Friends To Do The Same

November 2, 2020November 1, 2020 Chris Butler

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07), and U.S Senate Republican candidate Bill Hagerty urged their supporters to vote Tuesday and to also re-elect U.S. President Donald Trump.

They did so Sunday at Franklin’s Liberty Hall inside The Factory, where State Sen. Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) hosted his annual Boots & Jeans, BBQ & Beans event.

Senator Marsha Blackburn Weighs in on Presidential and Senate Races, ‘We’re Not Comfortable but We Are Optimistic’

October 31, 2020October 30, 2020 Julie Carr

Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Senator Marsha Blackburn to the show to discuss the Trump campaign and the Senate races nationwide.

Blackburn Challenges Big Tech CEOs to Provide Transparency in Content Moderation

October 29, 2020October 28, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) pushed Big Tech outlets on Wednesday to to provide more transparency to their content moderation practices.

Her remarks at the Senate Commerce Committee hearing were aimed at CEOs Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jack Dorsey of Twitter and Sundar Pichai of Google, according to a press release.

Senator Marsha Blackburn and Other Republican Senators Have ‘Concern’ About the College Board’s Relationship with Chinese-Backed Confucius Institutes

October 28, 2020October 28, 2020 Zachery Schmidt

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) along with six other Republican Senators sent a letter Tuesday to the College Board (CB) questioning the organization’s relationship with the Chinese-backed Confucius Institutes. In the letter, the senators expressed “concern” about CB’s relationship with the Confucius Institute. The CB is a non-profit organization that…

Senator Marsha Blackburn’s New Bill Tackles Big Tech Censorship and ‘Fact-Checkers’

October 22, 2020October 21, 2020 Corinne Murdock

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is co-sponsoring a reform bill tackling Big Tech’s censorship and “fact-checking” policies. The bill, “Online Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity Act,” is a reform of Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act (CDA).
Section 230 hasn’t been updated in nearly 25 years. The goal of the reform is to “clarify the original intent of the law and examine Big Tech’s content moderation practices.”

Marsha Blackburn Talks Senate Hearings for Amy Coney Barrett and the Plight of the Conservative Woman in Washington D.C.

October 7, 2020October 6, 2020 Julie Carr

Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn to the show to discuss how the Senate will move forward with the hearings for Amy Coney Barrett.

Marsha Blackburn Discusses Her New Book, SCOTUS Confirmations, and Violent Mobs

September 23, 2020September 22, 2020 Julie Carr

Tuesday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host John Fredericks welcomed Tennessee US Senator Marsha Blackburn to the show to discuss her new book, SCOTUS nominees, and the violence of the mobs.

Marsha Blackburn Says She Will Vote for a Constitutionalist to Replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg

September 22, 2020September 21, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said this week that she and her colleagues will soon seek someone to replace the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — as they are supposed to, regardless.

Blackburn also said that she wants a person with constitutionalist views.

Marsha Blackburn Says No One Made Things Easy for Ruth Bader Ginsburg

September 20, 2020September 19, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) during a FOX News interview, discussed the legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away Friday.

Blackburn told host Shannon Bream that Ginsburg “had earned her spot.”

Marsha Blackburn Discusses TikTok-Oracle Deal

September 19, 2020September 18, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week appeared on FOX Business Morning to discuss what she said was TikTok’s link with the Chinese Communist Party.

Blackburn discussed these matters with host Maria Bartiromo.

Marsha Blackburn Says She and Other Senators Are Addressing Online Censorship

September 16, 2020September 15, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) told reporters during a Zoom conference call Tuesday that she and other senators are working to address online censorship — an issue that she said affects musicians, authors, and Christian entertainers.

“Online censorship is an issue that a lot of Tennesseans are talking about,” Blackburn said.

Marsha Blackburn Helps Probe Extensive Criminal History of Obama-Biden Era Dreamer Charged with Four Deaths

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) helped this week investigate how federal officials did not remove a Mexican national in the United States despite his history of violent and illegal behavior.

This behavior resulted in the deaths of four law enforcement motorcycle club members.

Marsha Blackburn Will Address Republican National Convention Wednesday

August 26, 2020August 25, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is scheduled to address the Republication National Convention Wednesday night.

Blackburn will speak just after 8:40 p.m. Eastern Time and 7:40 p.m. Central Time, said spokeswoman Abbi Sigler.

Marsha Blackburn Pushes Bill to Allow Concealed Carry for Prosecutors, Federal Judges

August 7, 2020August 6, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week announced she is co-sponsoring a bill that, if passed into law, would allow current and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms.

As written, this bill, the Protect Our Prosecutors and Judges Act, would also apply to current and retired local, state, and federal prosecutors, as well as retired judges.

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

August 4, 2020August 3, 2020 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.

‘DISGRACEFUL:’ Marsha Blackburn Scorches Manny Sethi Supporter Zach Wamp for Now-Deleted Tweet About Female Volunteers in Bill Hagerty’s Campaign

August 3, 2020August 2, 2020 Chris Butler

Former Tennessee congressman Zach Wamp, who recently endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi, on Saturday posted — and deleted — a tweet accusing Sethi’s opponent, Bill Hagerty, of using young female volunteers “in short shorts” to attract votes.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), upon reading Wamp’s tweet, reprimanded the former congressman and suggested he doesn’t respect women.

Marsha Blackburn Says There Is a Way U.S. Can Hit China Back After COVID-19

August 1, 2020July 31, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said Friday that the United States has a way to hold China accountable for unleashing COVID-19 upon the world.

Blackburn said this during a tele-town hall with U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty. Hagerty and opponent Manny Sethi both want to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) in the August 6 Republican primary.

Marsha Blackburn Wants Jerrold Nadler to Visit Portland After He Denies Violence There

July 29, 2020July 28, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) suggested this week that U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10) visit Portland after he denied any social unrest had broken out there.

Blackburn tweeted this Monday.

Marsha Blackburn Joins Healthy Workplaces Tax Credit Act to Help Businesses Safely Reopen

July 26, 2020July 25, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week joined U.S. Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) Healthy Workplaces Tax Credit Act.

Blackburn said in an emailed press release that the legislation will help businesses and nonprofits continue to safely reopen while ensuring the safety of employees and consumers. This, through a refundable tax credit against payroll taxes for 50 percent of the costs a business incurs for increased testing, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), disinfecting, and reconfiguring workspaces to follow social distancing guidelines.

Marsha Blackburn Endorses Bill Hagerty for U.S. Senate, Knocks Manny Sethi

July 23, 2020July 22, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Wednesday endorsed Bill Hagerty to work alongside her in Washington, D.C.

Blackburn tweeted her support for Hagerty and called him “a true conservative.”

Marsha Blackburn Says Recent Protests Spread COVID-19

July 21, 2020July 20, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn said this week that protestors caused an uptick in COVID-19 cases, and she even seemed to suggest that the media conceals that information.

Blackburn said this on her Facebook page. She said this while sharing a Washington Post article about how the United States has responded to COVID-19. The article criticized how U.S. President Donald Trump has handled the outbreak and suggested that not enough Americans are wearing masks to guard themselves against the virus.

Blackburn Joins Bill to Strip Federal Funding from ‘Anarchist Jurisdictions’

July 9, 2020July 8, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has added her name to a bill that would prevent federal funding from going to cities with “violent anarchist jurisdictions.”

The bill, carried by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), defines an anarchist jurisdiction as a city or state that abdicates its constitutional duty to its citizens to uphold the rule of law, or fails to provide police, fire, or emergency medical services to its residents, according to Blackburn’s office.

Marsha Blackburn Introduces Bill to End Birth Tourism and Fight Immigration Fraud

July 7, 2020July 6, 2020 Chris Butler

Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) have introduced legislation that they say will combat illegal immigration fraud and eliminate loopholes in birthright citizenship that foreign nationals exploit.
This, according to a press release Blackburn published on her website Monday.

Blackburn Calls Trump’s Fourth of July Speech ‘One of the Best’ of His Presidency

July 6, 2020July 5, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) called President Donald Trump’s Independence Day speech at the annual Salute to America celebration “one of the best” of his presidency.

The president delivered back-to-back speeches over the holiday weekend, the first of which took place Friday night in front of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. In both addresses, Trump delivered an unapologetic defense of American culture and history, mercilessly deriding the “cancel culture.”

Marsha Blackburn Tells FOX News How Cancel Culture Hit a Chattanooga Restaurant

July 4, 2020July 3, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week appeared on FOX News and spoke out on behalf of Chattanooga restaurant owners who received violent threats for merely taking a food order for a pro-police rally.

Blackburn told the network that members of her staff have reached out to the family who owns the business, Shuford’s Smokehouse. The people who made the threats, the senator said, are part of “the raging mob.”

Blackburn Leads Bipartisan Letter Asking EU to Designate Hezbollah a Terrorist Organization

June 30, 2020June 29, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in urging member states of the European Union to designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) along with Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-NY-01) and Ted Deutch (D-FL-22) joined Blackburn in drafting the letter to EU member states. A total of 30 lawmakers signed their names to the letter.

Mark Green Introduces Bill to Provide Transparency on Federal Funds Spent in China

June 29, 2020June 28, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) recently introduced a bill to require annual reporting on federal funds spent in China.

The bill, called the Our Money in China Transparency Act, would require detailed annual reporting on any federal funds spent on activities conducted in collaboration with China’s entities and institutions, Green explained in a press release.

Project Veritas Exposes Rampant Anti-Conservative Bias of Facebook’s Content Moderators: ‘I Am Going to Delete Them for Terrorism’

June 24, 2020June 23, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

A shocking new undercover video from Project Veritas exposes the rampant anti-conservative bias of Facebook’s content moderators, the employees who are responsible for deciding what posts are censored.

Zach McElroy, a former Facebook employee who worked as a content moderator in Tampa, Florida, told Project Veritas that he’s willing to testify before Congress about Facebook’s bias against Trump supporters and conservative causes.

Blackburn Says Google Poses ‘Threat to Free and Fair Press,’ Calls for Investigation Into Search Function

June 23, 2020June 22, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said Google and its parent company, Alphabet, pose a “threat to a free and fair press in America” in a letter sent Sunday to U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr.

U.S. Senate Passes Marsha Blackburn Co-Sponsored Bill to Protect Free Speech on American College Campuses

June 12, 2020June 11, 2020 Chris Butler

This week the U.S. Senate passed the Concerns Over Nations Funding University Campus Institutes in the United States (CONFUCIUS) Act by unanimous consent, which U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) co-sponsored.

The legislation addresses concerns about Confucius Institutes suppressing free speech on American college campuses. John Kennedy (R-LA), Doug Jones (D-AL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) also co-sponsored the bill.

Marsha Blackburn and Tom Cotton Introduce Resolution Calling for Justice for George Floyd and Opposing ‘Defund the Police’

June 11, 2020June 10, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) have introduced a resolution calling for justice for George Floyd and opposing recent calls to defund the police.

This, according to a press release Blackburn published on her website Wednesday.

Manny Sethi Calls for Fairness and Transparency in the Meat Industry

May 30, 2020May 29, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi this week called for fairness and transparency in the meat industry by laying out his three-point plan to ensure America has access to our national meat supply.

All this without price gouging from foreign-owned companies, Sethi said in a press release.

Marsha Blackburn: Telehealth Proves Essential During COVID-19

May 30, 2020May 29, 2020 Chris Butler

Patients needing care should not fear catching an illness from a doctor’s office, said U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in a press release Friday.

Telehealth, Blackburn said, has proven an immensely beneficial form of delivering treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Marsha Blackburn Talks About Her Newly Proposed Open Technology Fund Authorization Act

May 29, 2020May 28, 2020 Julie Carr

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Sen. Marsha Blackburn to the newsmakers line.

During the third hour, Blackburn explained her bill called the Open Technology Fund Authorization Act which would provide safeguards as more Americans move online with their work and transactions. She added that it was important to protect what she calls our “virtual view” while China shows increased proof of global domination.

Blackburn Leads Bill to Fight ‘Digital Authoritarianism’ in China, Russia

May 28, 2020May 27, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced a bill Friday that she says would help prevent authoritarian governments in Russia and China from restricting “Internet freedom.”

“Leading censors like China and Russia are not only employing more sophisticated means to control the lives of their citizens online; they are also exporting their censorship and surveillance tactics to illiberal regimes abroad,” Blackburn said in a press release.

Marsha Blackburn Blasts Joe Biden Over Comments About African Americans

May 26, 2020May 25, 2020 Chris Butler

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said this past weekend that Joe Biden and other Democrats take black voters for granted and that President Donald Trump, a Republican, has a record of success with African Americans.

Blackburn said this when she appeared on FOX News.

Marsha Blackburn Urges Bill Barr to Investigate Planned Parenthood

May 22, 2020May 21, 2020 Chris Butler

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) in sending a letter on Thursday to Attorney General Bill Barr urging the Department of Justice to investigate Planned Parenthood.

Specifically, they asked Barr to investigate whether dozens of Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country fraudulently applied for and received loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) despite knowing they were ineligible to apply.

Marsha Blackburn Urges Colleagues to Stay Away from Chinese Entities

May 16, 2020May 15, 2020 Chris Butler

After the COVID-19 outbreak, and China’s likely role in causing it, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week asked her U.S. Senate colleagues not to meet with people who represent Chinese companies.

Blackburn said this in a letter dated Thursday.

Marsha Blackburn Promises Judiciary Committee Will ‘Bring Some Daylight’ to Michael Flynn Unmasking Matter

May 14, 2020May 13, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) reacted to Wednesday’s bombshell news about prominent members of former President Barack Obama’s administration unmasking Michael Flynn.

Blackburn, in an emailed statement, said that in 2017 she expressed concerns about Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice. Specifically, the senator said she was concerned about Rice’s role in unmasking members of the Trump transition team on which Blackburn served. At the time, Blackburn wrote that Rice’s behavior appeared, “negligent at best and criminal at worst.”

Sen. Blackburn Details How Her New Bill Will Allow Americans Impacted by COVID-19 to Sue China

April 29, 2020April 28, 2020 Zachery Schmidt

Senator Marsha Blackburn joined Fox Business’s Morning with Maria Tuesday to discuss her new legislation that wants to hold the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) responsible for the way it has handled the coronavirus.

Marsha Blackburn Introduces Stop COVID Act to Hold China Accountable for the Coronavirus

April 21, 2020April 20, 2020 Chris Butler

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Martha McSally (R-AZ) 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.

This, according to a press release the two women put out Monday.

The two women said the Stop COVID Act will empower Americans to sue China in U.S. court and seek compensation for the harm the virus has caused to the economy and human life, the press release went on to say.

Senator Marsha Blackburn Urges FDA to Respond to Critical Drug Shortages

April 6, 2020April 5, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee this week urged U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials to address shortages of drugs used to treat patients with lupus.

Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, used to treat autoimmune diseases like lupus, are currently used to treat COVID-19.

“We should not be facing a choice between treating lupus and COVID-19,” Blackburn said in a statement.

Senator Marsha Blackburn Says China Should Waive Some of U.S. Debt After COVID-19 Outbreak

April 3, 2020April 2, 2020 Chris Butler

This week Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said China should waive some of the United States’ $1.08 trillion debt for inflicting COVID-19 upon this country and other parts of the world.

Blackburn said this while appearing on The Jeff Poor Show out of Huntsville, Alabama.

“One of the things is my Senate resolution 553 which expresses the sense of the Senate that we know this came from Wuhan, China, and that they hid the information and were not transparent, that they blocked the World Health Organization and the CDC from coming in to help. They tried to blame it on the U.S. military. We hold them accountable, and I will tell you I think that we need to look at the fact that China owns over $1 trillion of our debt,” Blackburn said.

Marsha Blackburn Resolution Would Hold China Accountable for COVID-19 Outbreak

March 28, 2020March 27, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee has called on the Chinese government to take responsibility what she calls “its abject failure to be forthright about the severity of its COVID-19 crisis at its inception.” “Chinese officials destroyed early COVID-19 test kits, suppressed information and refused international assistance,” Blackburn…

Marsha Blackburn Says Congressional Democrats’ Actions This Week Harmed Tennessee’s Struggling Small Business Owners

March 25, 2020March 24, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee said Tuesday that the current coronavirus emergency has frightened the state’s small business owners — and Congressional Democrats’ actions this week did not help matters.