Tag: Senator Marsha Blackburn

Sen. Blackburn Slams Department of Education for Funding Professor Who Called October 7 ‘Stunning Victory’

Tom Pappert
Blackburn and Lummis

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) sent a letter criticizing the U.S. Department of Education after a watchdog report revealed the federal government is using taxpayer money to fund the salaries of multiple professors who hold anti-Israel or antisemitic views, including one educator who described the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians as a “stunning victory” for Palestine.

The letter came in response to an October report by Open the Books, a nonprofit whose mission is to “capture and post all disclosed spending at all levels of government,” which revealed the Department of Education funded professors with antisemitic, anti-Israel, or pro-Hamas views at Columbia University, Indiana University, and Georgetown University, as part of two federal grant programs.

Read the full story

Tennessee U.S. Senators Hagerty, Blackburn Support Trump’s Nomination of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General

Tom Pappert
Senators Hagerty and Blackburn

Both U.S. Senators representing Tennessee have confirmed they will support the nomination by President-elect Donald Trump of Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) to serve as the U.S. Attorney General.

Senators Marsh Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) released statements expressing support for Gaetz last week ahead of reports the Florida Republican was calling senators to arrange meetings and seek their support during the nomination process.

Read the full story

Vanderbilt University Pollsters Off by 20 Points After Tennessee Republicans Gain Mandate After 2024 Elections

Tom Pappert
Marsha Blackburn

The prognostications within the Vanderbilt University Poll released by its Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions missed the actual intentions of Tennessee voters by up to 20 percent.

Published in May, the Vanderbilt poll failed to capture the size of the lead achieved by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in her race against State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), with the pollsters ultimately off by 20 percent.

Read the full story

Commentary: After Years of Big Tech Putting Profit over Children’s Safety, the Senate Just Took a Big Step to Hold Them Accountable

Admin
Little Girl online

Since 1998 — the last year Congress passed a major law to reform the tech industry and protect children in the virtual space — a lot has changed.

In the last 26 years, more than 100 million Americans were born during the internet’s profound transformation from dial-up to near constant connectivity, especially with the emergence of the biggest social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and more.

Read the full story

U.S. Senators Prohibited from Asking Questions in Secret Service Conference Call After Attempted Trump Assassination

Tom Pappert
Senators and Secret Service

A source familiar with the conversation confirmed to The Tennessee Star that multiple members of the U.S. Senate were prohibited from asking questions during a Wednesday conference call with the U.S. Secret Service in the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

The allegation surfaced after U.S. Senator Mike Lee revealed the Secret Service was “briefing senators” about the attempted assassination “on a conference call,” during which he claimed the federal agency provided “details that aren’t all helpful” and little information about “the failures that led to this tragedy.”

Read the full story

New Vanderbilt Poll Prioritizes Nashvillians, Paints Picture of Divided Tennessee

Matthew Giffin
Downtown Nashville

The latest Vanderbilt Poll paints a picture of a politically divided Tennessee, but the poll’s methodology reveals its creators prioritized registered voters in the Nashville area.

The Vanderbilt Poll, launched by the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in an attempt to provide a nonpartisan reading of public opinion, portrayed Tennesseans as overall politically conservative but starkly divided over certain issues.

Read the full story

Tennessee Senate Passes Bill Banning Politicians from Running in Multiple Elections at the Same Time

Tom Pappert
Richard Briggs

The Tennessee State Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would ban politicians in the state from seeking more than one elected office simultaneously.

SB 1968 passed the Tennessee Senate on Thursday with 17 votes in favor and 15 votes against. The bill, introduced by Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville), would prohibit an individual from holding multiple elected offices in Tennessee, and would also ban any politician in the state from actively campaigning for more than one elected position.

Read the full story

Senators Blackburn and Hagerty Demand Transparency After Federal Agency Removes Web Page on Taxpayer-Funded Union Work Hours

Tom Pappert
Blackburn Hagerty

Both of Tennessee’s U.S. senators were part of a letter that questioned the removal of an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) web page that formerly provided the number of work hours used as “official time” for union activities since 2013.

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) led a group of 10 senators in a letter sent December 14, 2023, “to express concern” over OPM’s decision “to remove a page from its website that has documented, for over a decade, the amount of ‘official time’ taken by employees of federal agencies.”

Read the full story

Facebook Sees Rise in Antisemitic Posts, Censorship of Pro-Israel Content: Reports

Tom Pappert

Facebook has reportedly experienced nearly a 200 percent increase in antisemitic posts since the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, and a U.S. Senator recently wrote to the social media platform’s parent company, Meta, about reports it is censoring pro-Israel content.

Antisemitism monitoring technology company Cyberwell recently warned of a dramatic increase in antisemitic posts and posts that call for violence against Jewish people across all social media websites, claiming social media companies were unprepared to confront “national security issues” posed by the Hamas attacks.

Read the full story

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann ‘All In’ for Trump, Promises to Do ‘Everything Possible’ for 2024 Re-Election

Tom Pappert

U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) reportedly told the Hamilton County Pachyderm Club in Chattanooga on Monday that he is “all in” for former President Donald Trump in 2024, and pledged to support his 2024 campaign for re-election.

Fleischmann told Republicans on Monday that he is “all in for Donald Trump,” according to The Chattanoogan, which reported that the congressman told attendees he recently visited Mar-a-Lago and told the former president he will do “everything possible” to aid his re-election.

Read the full story

Commentary: Consumers Can’t Afford the Credit Card Competition Act

Admin

The Credit Card Competition Act is great for big-box retailers like Target, but it’s extremely harmful for consumers.

American families are struggling through a cost of living crisis. Many are not saving for the future, they are struggling to stay above the water. Currently, over 60 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, up two percentage points from last year. Some families are struggling to afford basic necessities like gas and groceries.

Read the full story

Sen. Blackburn: Whistleblower Has ‘Irrefutable Evidence’ Facebook Serves Harmful Content to Kids, Hid Data from Congress

Tom Pappert

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said on Friday that a whistleblower formerly employed by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, provided “irrefutable evidence” the social media giant knowingly serves harmful content to children on its platforms.

Blackburn released a bipartisan statement with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on Friday after speaking with whistleblower Arturo Bejar, a former employee and consultant for Meta, which was then Facebook. He alleged the company willfully ignored data proving children are regularly served to content that glorifies drug use and eating disorders, and are subjected to sexual harassment and bullying on the company’s platforms.

Read the full story

Tennessee Lawmakers React to Impeachment Inquiry into President Joe Biden

Hannah Poling

Tennessee lawmakers voiced their opinions following U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) announcing a decision to launch a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

On Tuesday, McCarthy directed House committees to open the inquiry based on House Republicans uncovering evidence that suggests Biden may have been involved in his son, Hunter Biden’s, potentially illegal business dealings.

Read the full story

U.S. Senate Democrats Block Vance’s Legislation to Ban Federal Mask Mandates

Hannah Poling

On Thursday, U.S. Senate Democrats blocked Senator JD Vance’s (R-OH) motion for unanimous consent on his legislation to prevent the re-imposition of federal mask mandates in the United States.

This follows Vance introducing The Freedom to Breathe Act on Tuesday which aims to prohibit any federal official, including the President, from issuing mask mandates applying to domestic air travel, public transit systems, or primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools. The legislation would also prohibit air carriers, transit authorities, and educational institutions from refusing service to individuals who choose not to wear a mask.

Read the full story

Senator Vance Cosponsors Bipartisan Resolution Challenging Biden’s ESG Rule Politicizing Americans’ Retirement Plans

Hannah Poling
JD Vance

U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) is joining a bipartisan challenge alongside 49 other U.S. Senators in opposition to President Biden’s new Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) rule, which politicizes the retirement assets of millions of Americans in order to support Biden’s ideological viewpoints rather than obtaining the highest returns for Americans.

“Joe Biden’s ESG investing rule is a brazen attempt to funnel Americans’ retirement savings toward far-left special interest groups,” Vance told The Ohio Star.

Read the full story

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Talks Common Sense Victory Protecting Servicemembers From COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates and Activist Judges

Julie Carr

Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Tennessee’s Senior United States Senator, Marsha Blackburn to the newsmaker line to discuss her added provision to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that would protect servicemembers from the COVID-19 vaccine mandates and how working in the US Senate will change in 2023.

Read the full story

Senator Jack Johnson’s ‘Boots and Jeans, BBQ and Beans’ Event to Feature Several Tennessee Leaders

Cooper Moran

Tennessee Senator Jack Johnson’s (R-Franklin) annual “Boots and Jeans, BBQ and Beans” fundraising event will feature several prominent leaders from across Tennessee.

According to Johnson’s website, a host of political leaders will attend the event: Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, and Congressman Mark Green.

Read the full story

Marsha Blackburn Supports Tennessee National Guard Soldiers: ‘Working on Legislation That Would Prohibit’ Funding to Implement Mandate

Aaron Gulbransen

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn told The Tennessee Star Tuesday that she strongly supports the Tennessee National Guard soldiers who are about to be fired due to noncompliance with a vaccine mandate on Thursday. 

Blackburn also mentioned she is working on federal legislation to help them.

Read the full story

Virginia Republicans Highlight Irony of Biden’s Call for a Gas Tax Suspension Less than a Week After Senate Kills Similar Youngkin Proposal

Eric Burk

President Joe Biden is calling for a three-month suspension of the federal gas tax less than a week after Virginia Senate Democrats and one Republican killed Governor Glenn Youngkin’s efforts to enact a suspension of Virginia’s fuel tax. Virginia Republicans took to social media on Wednesday to react to Biden’s proposal. “Now, the White House is calling on states to move forward on gas tax suspensions – demonstrating that VA Senate Dems are out of step with everyday people and their own party,” Youngkin tweeted. “Gas prices are not sustainable for families in Virginia, and it is astonishing that Senate Democrats blocked my gas relief proposal three times and squandered the opportunity to do the right thing. Virginians deserved a better answer than ‘no.’” Biden’s proposal isn’t a done deal. Some federal Democrats have similar concerns Virginia Democrats had. They said the gas tax pays for highway maintenance and is a fairly small part of many people’s budgets, and worried that lowering the gas tax won’t change the supply problem that’s causing the prices to increase but would just enrich petroleum corporations. Some federal Republicans aren’t on board either. “President Biden said he was going to shut down American energy,…

Read the full story

Senator Marsha Blackburn Introduces Legislation to Encourage Innovation and Entrepreneurs

Cooper Moran

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), joined by Democrat Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), introduced legislation to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.

The bill, entitled the Leveraging our National Laboratories to Develop Tomorrow’s Technology Leaders Act, aims to use additional funding for the country’s National Laboratories to encourage the development.

Read the full story

Senator Blackburn Introduces Resolution to Urge Biden Administration to Remove Russia from the UN Security Council

Cooper Moran

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), joined by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY-22), introduced a joint resolution to ask the Biden administration to remove Russia from the United Nations Security Council.

If Russia were removed from the position, the country would no longer have veto power as a Permanent Member of the Council.

Read the full story

Senator Marsha Blackburn, Other Republicans Demand Answers over Attack on Texas Synagogue

Cooper Moran

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and several other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, demanding more information on the man who took several hostages in a Texas synagogue.

Malik Faisal Akram, a British national, entered Beth Israel Congregation in Colleyville, Texas, earlier this month and took four individuals captive.

Read the full story

Biden’s Border Policies Allow Human Trafficking, Says Senator Marsha Blackburn

Cooper Moran

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), in a written column, argued that the border and immigration policies of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have allowed human trafficking.

Because of their decision to end the construction of the border wall and other Trump-era policies, the Tennessee senator wrote that the duo has made it easier for criminals.

Read the full story

Senator Marsha Blackburn: Biden Is a Lame-Duck President in His First Year

Cooper Moran

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) mocked President Joe Biden’s inability to advance key priorities of his administration, awarding him the “lame-duck” title often given to presidents in the final year of their term.

In an interview with “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News, Blackburn pointed out that Biden has watched over multiple domestic and foreign policy failures.

Read the full story

Senator Marsha Blackburn Criticizes University of Memphis Course Changes

Cooper Moran

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Tuesday criticized the University of Memphis for awarding additional funds to educators as a part of their “Eradicating Systemic Racism and Promoting Social Justice Initiative.”

The new initiative will provide a $3,000 stipend to professors who alter their courses to incorporate “diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice” curriculum.

Read the full story

Senator Marsha Blackburn Introduces Resolution to Oppose Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers

Cooper Moran
Marsha Blackburn and Roger Marshall

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) on Thursday introduced a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) against President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.

If fully enacted, the resolution would stop the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from implementing the mandate that impacts almost all healthcare employees and would prevent any similar rule in the future.

Read the full story

Senator Marsha Blackburn Demands Attorney General Garland Withdraw Memo That Connected Parents to ‘Domestic Terrorists’

Cooper Moran

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined her Republican colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee, demanding Attorney General Merrick Garland withdraw the memo he issued that connected parents to domestic terrorists.

Furthermore, during the Department of Justice’s investigation, the organization used the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Counterterrorism unit.

Read the full story

Tennessee General Assembly Organizes for the Third Extraordinary Session Focused on COVID-Related Issues

Laura Baigert

The two chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly met Wednesday in floor session for less than an hour to organize for the Third Extraordinary Session of the 112th General Assembly, which will focus on COVID-related issues.

Special Session III was called on October 19 by Tennessee’s Lt. Governor and Speaker of the Senate Randy McNally and Speaker of the House of Representatives Cameron Sexton in response to the written request of two-thirds of the members of each house, even as legislators were engaged in the Second Extraordinary Session called by Governor Bill Lee taking up $884 million in taxpayer giveaways for Ford Motor Company’s $5.6 billion electric vehicle project to be located on the Memphis Regional Megasite known as “Blue Oval City.”

Read the full story

Senator Blackburn Introduces Bill to Prevent Essential Workers from Being Fired over Vaccine Mandates

Cooper Moran

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Tuesday introduced legislation to prevent essential workers from being fired because of President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.

The Keeping Our COVID-19 Heroes Employed Act would provide an exemption from the federal mandate that requires companies with more than 100 employees to mandate the vaccine or weekly testing.

Read the full story

Senator Blackburn Questions Attorney General Merrick Garland’s Conflict of Interest Regarding Critical Race Theory

Cooper Moran

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Tuesday joined Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) and sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, expressing concern over Garland’s close connection to Critical Race Theory (CRT).

In the letter, the trio of lawmakers questioned Garland’s proximity to Panorama Education, a company that was co-founded by Garland’s son-in-law and works with schools to advance Critical Race Theory.

Read the full story

Senator Marsha Blackburn Slams Attorney General Merrick Garland for Investigating Parents’ Free Speech

Cooper Moran

Senator Marsha Blackburn and other GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, slamming his decision to open an investigation into alleged “threats” made by parents against school officials.

The letter from the lawmakers expressed concern that the Department of Justice is targeting the opinions of individuals that they do not agree with.

Read the full story

Governor Lee Joins Blackburn and Hagerty, Questions Biden Administration over Afghan Refugee Resettlement

Cooper Moran

Governor Bill Lee (R) on Wednesday joined Senators Marsha Blackburn(R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and demanded answers from the Biden Administration over Afghan refugee resettlement.

Over the past several months, thousands of refugees from Afghanistan have been relocated across the United States after President Joe Biden’s chaotic withdrawal.

Read the full story

Tennessee Senator Blackburn Grills Facebook Head of Safety on Teen Health and Safety Impacts

Bradley Vasoli

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R) and Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D) led a bipartisan grilling of Facebook’s Antigone Davis Thursday about apparent troubles the company’s photo-sharing platform causes for teenagers.

Davis, Facebook’s global head of safety, testified before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security, of which Blumenthal and Blackburn are respectively chair and ranking member. The meeting focused largely on the psychological hazards that Facebook has quietly acknowledged its photo-album application Instagram has posed to children and teens.

Read the full story

Tennessee Sen. Blackburn Spearheading Bipartisan Probe with Connecticut Sen. Blumenthal of Facebook’s Impact on Youngsters

Bradley Vasoli

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R) and her Connecticut colleague Richard Blumenthal (D) announced this week they’re launching an inquiry into revelations, reported that morning in The Wall Street Journal, about Facebook’s knowledge of harms its products may pose to their young users.

Blumenthal chairs the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, through which the investigation of the social network will proceed. Blackburn serves as the subcommittee’s ranking member.

Read the full story