State Rep. Who Led Riot Says She Will Challenge Sen. Blackburn

According to multiple reports, State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) will challenge Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for her seat during the 2024 election cycle.

“I’m taking a serious look at the race and having conversations with folks that are hungry for better leadership in Washington,” Johnson told Politico. “Honestly, Tennesseans deserve someone who will stand up to corrupt special interests, fight for lower costs so that every family can build a good life and that’s not Marsha Blackburn.”

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Gulbransen on Gloria Johnson Senate Bid: You Don’t Tug on Superman’s Cape, You Don’t Mess with Marsha Blackburn When You’re a Marxist

Official guest host of The Tennessee Star Report and executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition Tennessee Aaron Gulbransen joined Michael Patrick Leahy in-studio Tuesday to discuss the purported U.S. Senate candidacy of the far-left Democrat State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville).

Gulbransen took the opportunity to remind listeners of Johnson’s liberal bona fides and Marsha Blackburn’s ferocity on the campaign trail.

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Tennessee Department of Health Engages in Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) will work with local leaders to support the Red Sand Project between July 25 and 31.

‘’Human trafficking is a hidden crime in our state and across the country because victims rarely come forward to receive help or services,’’ said Tennessee Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado, MD, FACP. ‘’It’s up to all of us to bring an end to the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. The Red Sand Project reminds us how crucial it is for communities, both urban and rural, to engage in awareness and education activities that support survivors of human trafficking and strengthen our prevention efforts.”

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Sen. Blackburn Slams Biden Admin for Being Soft on China

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee spent Thursday morning slamming President Joe Biden and his administration for what she believes are weak policies that are allowing China to gain ground in the war for global dominance. 

“The Biden administration wants to let Communist China off the hook on COVID, Taiwan, and Cuba. Their policies will makes us more dependent on the CCP,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), attaching a video from an appearance on Fox News. 

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Sen. Hagerty: Biden Will Allow Two Times Tennessee’s Population in Illegal Aliens to Enter Country

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee slammed President Joe Biden for his open borders policies, and contextualized the amount of illegal aliens who will cross into the United States under the Biden administration. 

“With an estimated 5,500,000 illegal border crossings so far, Biden is on track over a 4-year term to allow illegal immigration in an amount nearly double the entire population of Tennessee,” Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) said Tuesday on Twitter. 

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Kari Lake to Host Rally Concert Event Featuring Country Music Star John Rich

Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake’s next big event, Kari’s Country Concert, will take place Saturday at 5:00 pm and feature a rodeo, rally, and concert starring county music star John Rich.

“Join us in Morristown for a Rodeo, Rally & concert with [John Rich]! This event will be so much fun! I can’t wait to see you all there,” Lake tweeted.

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Blackburn, Other Senators Fire Back After Medical Groups Call for Censorship of Critics of Minor-Age ‘Gender Reassignment’

After the American Medical Association (AMA), American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Children’s Hospital Association asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate people and organization who speak out against gender transition surgeries for minors, a U.S. Senator from Tennessee wrote to the DOJ to ensure the protection of Americans’ First Amendment rights. 

“We write to express our concern with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) continued pattern of abusing its investigative authority to police the speech of Americans and stifle ongoing policy debates,” said a letter penned by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and co-signed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TN) among others. 

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Exclusive: Tennessee National Guardsman Confirms Troops Losing Benefits Due to COVID-19 Vaccination Status

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee, along with several of her colleagues, announced Friday that she had introduced legislation aiming to stop the federal government from kicking soldiers out of the National Guard due to their COVID-19 vaccination status. 

“Joe Biden announced the ‘pandemic is over,’ and therefore has no reason to continue to fire our servicemembers using his politically-motivated vaccine mandate,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn in a press release. “America’s national readiness should not be jeopardized because this White House is hellbent on preserving their forever pandemic. My legislation continues my work to strengthen our armed forces and prevent yet another unconstitutional power grab from the Biden administration.”

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Exclusive: Senator Blackburn Completes Annual 95-County Tour of Tennessee

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee released a video recapping a 95 county tour of the state, which she does annually, meeting with members of local communities statewide. 

“We just finished our annual 95 county tour, visiting with all our county mayors, elected officials, our business owners and citizens of this great state,” said U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn in a video uploaded to her YouTube page. 

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Hagerty, Blackburn Introduce ‘Restoring Law and Order Act’

Tennessee’s two U.S. Senators have introduced legislation that would speed up the process of analyzing sexual assault kits after Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher was abducted and killed by a habitual offender two weeks ago. 

“United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Restoring Law and Order Act in response to the violence plaguing communities across America,” according to a joint press release. “Compared to mid-2019, America’s largest cities have seen a 50% increase in homicides and a 36% increase in aggravated assaults. In Tennessee, Memphis has experienced a series of shockingly violent crimes.”

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Blackburn Says Biden’s Speech a Distraction from His Failures While Speech Draws Negative Response

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee says President Joe Biden’s Thursday night speech, wherein he labeled his political opponents as “extremists” who are a threat to the United States is simply a distraction tactic. 

“Don’t allow Joe Biden to distract from the real problem: inflation is at a 40-year high, there is a crisis at our southern border, and our adversaries don’t fear us,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said. 

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Blackburn: ‘Appalling’ for Biden Admin to Label Trump Supporters ‘Threat to Democracy’

Hours before President Joe Biden was set to address the nation on the state of U.S. democracy, a U.S. Senator from Tennessee blasted the Biden administration for claiming that supporters of former President Donald Trump are somehow a threat to American freedom. 

“While the press secretary’s comments are appalling, they aren’t surprising. Democrats and their friends in the liberal media are no strangers to using these over the top accusations to silence conservatives,” U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) told The Tennessee Star Thursday. “The fact of the matter is that the Biden White House is terrified to have a debate over how their disastrous policies have caused inflation to hit a 40-year high and created a crisis at our southern border, so they’re resorting to scare tactics. Unfortunately for them, it’s not going to work.” 

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Blackburn Hammers DOJ, Says It’s Targeting Conservatives

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee has been hammering the Department of Justice (DOJ) for nearly a week after news broke that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. 

“There are plenty of great people who work for the FBI and have worked for the FBI, but there is a cabal within the FBI that has politicized the agency, and they did this from the time Donald Trump came down the escalator and announced his campaign – they have been after him,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Fox News. “So in some way, shape or form they cooked up this raid – they had [FBI Director] Christopher Wray agree with the raid – and of course [U.S. Attorney General] Merrick Garland signed off on this.”

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Sen. Blackburn Hammers FBI, DOJ After Mar-a-Lago Raid

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee is speaking out against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its parent agency, the Department of Justice (DOJ), after the FBI Monday raided former President Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida. 

“Why are the FBI and DOJ refusing to comment after raiding the private home of a former U.S. President? The American people demand transparency — they do not want another political witch hunt of President Trump. We need to know if Joe Biden or his allies were involved,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said. 

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Tennessee Lawmakers Rip Biden Admin over Recession Debacle

Tennessee’s lawmakers are ripping the Biden administration as he and other Democrats attempt to convince Americans that the country is not on the cusp of a recession, despite the expected Thursday announcement of two straight quarters of economic shrinkage. 

“Instead of changing the definition of recession, why won’t the White House change their policies that may get us in a recession in the first place?” Rep. John Rose (R-TN-06) asked on Twitter, linking to a speech he gave on the floor of the U.S. House. 

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Sen. Blackburn Reacts to Sen. Warren’s Call to Shut Down All Pregnancy Centers

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee Friday reacted to a call from a colleague to shut down all pregnancy centers in the United States. 

“Elizabeth Warren believes each and every pregnancy resource center across the country should be shut down,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). “What does the left have against those working to support mother and child?”

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Exclusive: Sen. Blackburn Discusses Fentanyl Crisis with TBI Special Agent

A U.S. senator from Tennessee sat down for a wide-ranging interview with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Drug Task Force Director to expose America’s deadly fentanyl crisis that is getting worse by the day.

“Thousands of people are on the march toward our southern border as we speak. What do they want? Biden’s welcome package – free phone, free plane ticket, and free baby formula,” said Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). “We know that among that group, drug dealers and smugglers are bringing across deadly amounts of fentanyl. I spoke with TBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas Farmer to expose how this crisis is devastating our communities.”

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Rep. Rose Co-Sponsors Massie’s Bill to Ban Military Vaccine Mandates

As Tennessee’s unvaccinated National Guardsmen face an uncertain future after Thursday’s deadline to take the COVID-19 jab or be fired has come and gone, one member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee has taken action at the federal level. 

Rep. John Rose (R-TN-06) is cosponsoring a bill with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) that would prevent government mandated vaccinations for members of the U.S. Military. 

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Tennessee Lawmakers Call for Safe Return of Marine Who Attempted Suicide in Venezuelan Jail

Elected officials in Tennessee are calling for the safe return of a U.S. Marine who is jailed in Venezuela after that Marine attempted to take his own life over the weekend. 

“The safe return of Matthew Heath must be the highest priority for the White House and State Department,” said Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03). “Our government and the Venezuelan government must come to an agreement to medically evacuate Matthew. His life is in danger, and we cannot delay.”

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Entire Tennessee Congressional Delegation Urges Biden to Approve Lee’s ‘Major Disaster’ Request After Sevier County Fires

In a rare showing of bipartisanship, the entire federal congressional delegation from Tennessee this week signed a letter addressed to President Joe Biden (D) urging him to approve Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) request to declare a major disaster emergency.

An early April wildfire tore through 3,700 acres in Sevier County in early April, prompting the request for the federal declaration.

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Hagerty, Blackburn: Tennessee’s MAGA Duo Votes Against Fast-Tracking $40 Billion Ukraine Bill

Tennessee’s two GOP senators were two of the 11 senators who voted May 16 against expediting a floor vote on President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s $40 billion aid package to Ukraine, H.R. 7691, known as the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022—after both Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D.-N.Y.) and Minority Leader A. Mitchell “Mitch” McConnell (R.-Ky.) rejected Sen. Rand Paul (R.-Ky.)’s request for a special inspector general to monitor America’s largesse to the non-NATO country.

Sen. William F. “Bill” Hagerty IV, who was joined in voting against cloture for the bill by his Volunteer State colleague Sen. Marsha Blackburn, told “The Tennessee Star Report” host Michael Patrick Leahy that he is frustrated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s prioritizing other countries while he ignores problems at home.

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Hot Mic at Metro Nashville Board of Education Meeting Catches Board Member Saying She Wants to Set Sen. Marsha Blackburn on Fire

A woman at a Metro Nashville Board of Public Education meeting was caught on a hot microphone saying she wants to set a U.S. Senator from Tennessee on fire. 

Amid cross talk, one person in the recorded conversation brings up Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in the context of Blackburn’s line of questioning during U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings last week. 

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Oversight Organization Battling National Institute of Health in Court over Chinese Involvement in COVID-19

A government watchdog Tuesday took the next step in its battle to expose Chinese connections to the National Institute of Health (NIH).

“Empower Oversight filed an amended complaint today against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation for documents related to a request by Chinese researchers to remove genetic sequences related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus from a database controlled by NIH,” that group said in a press release. 

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Senators Reveal Bipartisan Bill Targeting Big Tech Companies for Harms to Children

Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Democratic Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal unveiled a bipartisan bill Wednesday aimed at curbing online harms to children.

The Kids Online Safety Act is the result of several hearings and a months-long investigation led by Blackburn and Blumenthal into how use of social media platforms affects teens and young children. If enacted, the bill would require social media platforms to provide minors with options to protect their information, disable “addictive” product features and allow them to opt out of recommendation algorithms.

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Blackburn Legislation Addresses Supply Chains in Tennessee

Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced a bill this week to engage public-private partnerships toward strengthening supply chains in Tennessee and the region.

Current bottlenecks in shipping have translated to fewer goods on store shelves and higher prices for American consumers. Their causes are multifaceted and include high labor costs, cumbersome union work rules and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Says Biden Won’t Be Impeached

Citing the slim Democratic Party majority in both chambers of congress, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) ignored calls within the Republican Party and insisted President Joe Biden will not be impeached.

“Well, look, the president is not going to be removed from office. There’s a Democratic House, a narrowly Democratic Senate. That’s not going to happen,” he said at an event in his home state.

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Bipartisan Group of Tennessee Lawmakers Call on President Biden to Approve Emergency Declaration for Flooded Areas

U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined Representatives Mark Green (R-TN-07) and Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) and urged President Joe Biden to approve Governor Bill Lee’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration due to flooding throughout in Middle Tennessee.

In the attempt to bridge the gap between the federal and state government, the group of lawmakers pledged to provide the Biden administration with any assistance needed to expeditiously approve the Governor’s request.

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Republicans Demand Update on Long-Awaited Durham Report

After two years of waiting for a federal report on allegations of Democratic spying on the Trump campaign, Republicans are demanding answers.

More than 40 Republican U.S. senators sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland Thursday requesting the release of the Durham report, the long-awaited results of an investigation into the controversial origins of the FBI investigation into Russian collusion.

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Athletes Fighting Biological Males in Women’s Sports Take Their Stories to Washington

“We’re not often heard,” Cynthia Monteleone told a trio of female senators Thursday afternoon on Capitol Hill. “Though we are just three of thousands that this is happening to.”

Monteleone is a world champion track athlete who competed against a transgender competitor in the 2018 World Masters Athletics Championships in Málaga, Spain. Dressed in a white pantsuit with a fresh tropical flower tucked behind her ear, she spent Wednesday and Thursday urging Republican lawmakers to fight back against biological males competing in women’s sports.

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‘Enemy of Free Speech:’ Republicans Hit Back at Facebook After It Upholds Trump Ban

Censorship

Republicans are hitting back at Facebook and the Big Tech giants in Silicon Valley after Facebook’s Oversight Board announced Wednesday that it will uphold its ban of Former President Donald J. Trump.

Facebook claimed in a statement that Trump post “violated Facebook’s rules prohibiting praise or support of people engaged in violence,” when he called Capitol protestors “great patriots” and and “very special” on Jan. 6. 

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Blackburn, Hagerty Represent Tennessee in 50-State Effort to Support Georgia Runoff Candidates and Preserve Republican Control of Senate

Tennessee Republicans are joining in a 50-state effort today to raise funds to support Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff elections. The Georgia Battleground Fund event will be held in all 50 states, Fox News reported. The Jan. 5 runoff election for incumbent Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler against their Democratic rivals Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock will determine control of the Senate. Politico reported that combined spending by both sides has reached $100 million and will climb. Sources told The Tennessee Star that the Volunteer State’s fundraiser will be held today from 10-11 a.m. on a Zoom call. Speakers will be U.S. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), U.S. Sen.-elect Bill Hagerty and Loeffler. Donations for the Georgia Battleground Fund are being accepted here. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) told Fox News the Georgia Battleground Fund team is led by Outgoing NRSC Chairman Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) and Karl Rove as national finance chairman, with help in every state. Democrats are making a push to fully exploit weaknesses in Georgia’s voter registration laws that include no minimum residency requirement and allowing out-of-state drivers’ licenses for voting, Georgia Star News reported. They have encouraged people to move to Georgia to vote in…

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Testing Giant College Board to Sever Financial Ties with China after Blackburn Letter

College Board, the entity responsible for developing SAT and AP tests, will sever financial ties with the Chinese Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) at the end of the year.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and six other U.S. senators sent a letter to College Board CEO David Coleman last week, asking for clarification of the board’s financial relationship with Hanban and the extent of Chinese government influence on test development and guest teacher placements in the U.S.

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Republicans Will Put PPP Funding Back on the Floor for a Vote Despite Democrats’ Efforts to Block It, Sen. Blackburn Says

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) told CNBC’s SquawkBox on Wednesday that Republicans will try again to pass their bill that would provide PPP and vaccine funding despite Democrats’ attempts to block the efforts.

CNBC asked Blackburn if she would vote for a deal if the White House and the Treasury Department reached an agreement with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12).

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Says James Comey Has ‘Memory Issues’ Because He Cannot Recall Details of Crossfire Hurricane Investigation

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) appeared on Fox Business’ Morning with Maria on Thursday and asked how former FBI director Jim Comey and others could have been so oblivious about details on Crossfire Hurricane.

Crossfire Hurricane refers to the FBI investigation of alleged collusion between President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign with Russia.

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Blackburn Joins Senators in Questioning Netflix Over Decision to Create Show Based on Scifi Novels by Liu Cixin, Who Supports Communist China’s Internment of Uyghurs

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is sounding the alarm about Netflix over the streaming service’s plans to adapt and promote a Chinese sci-fi book series written by an author who expresses support for the Communist government’s “re-education” camps for Muslim Uyghurs.

On Wednesday, Blackburn and U.S. Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Martha McSally (R-AZ) signed a letter to Ted Sarandos Jr., co-CEO and chief content officer for Netflix.

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