Ranking Member's Press

Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) today applauded the restoration of year-round eligibility for the Pell Grant program in the bipartisan budget deal to fund the government through September 30, 2017.  “For years, Senator Alexander and I have worked together to restore funding for...

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2017 — Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said the Fiscal Year 2017 Omnibus Appropriations bill increases funding for breathtaking advances in biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $2 billion for the second consecutive fiscal year. The bill also restores year-round...

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 1 – Today, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) celebrating the 18th annual National Charter Schools Week, which runs from May 1 through May 5 and congratulates the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of our nation’s 6,950 charter...

Senate Health Committee Sends Nomination of Dr. Scott Gottlieb to be FDA Commissioner to Senate Floor   Chairman Alexander says Dr. Gottlieb is “the right person to move FDA forward to help patients take advantage of the remarkable discoveries our nation’s researchers are working on” WASHINGTON, D.C., April...

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 27 – Senate labor committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said that Alexander Acosta, confirmed by the Senate today as Labor Secretary, “can now begin his work to create a better environment to help more workers succeed in the rapidly changing workplace.” “American...

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 26 – Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement on the Trump Administration executive order ensuring faithful implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act – the new education law that Alexander sponsored to restore local control of...

WASHINGTON, April 26 —Senate labor committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said the Senate is now poised to confirm Alexander Acosta to serve as Secretary of Labor and “begin creating an environment for workers to succeed in a rapidly changing workplace,” after the Senate today voted to end debate on his nomination and move...

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 26, 2017 – The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee today voted overwhelmingly to send four bipartisan public health bills to the Senate floor.  Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said: “Today our committee continues its tradition of working together to get results for...

MARYVILLE, Tenn., April 19 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price announced Tennessee will soon receive nearly $14 million in funding to combat opioid abuse – the first of two rounds of funding to be delivered as part...

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., April 19, 2017 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today told members of the Tennessee Association of Manufacturers that President Trump’s Labor Secretary nominee, Alexander Acosta, would soon be confirmed by the United States Senate so “he can get to work creating an environment for workers in Tennessee...

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn., April 18, 2017 — U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today told members of the Kiwanis Club of Elizabethton that he is working to give Tennessee the flexibility it needs to help Tennesseans trapped in the state’s collapsing Obamacare exchange. Tennesseans who buy their insurance on the Obamacare exchange...

WASHINGTON, April 14 – The leaders of the Senate and House health committees today released a discussion draft of bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the Food and Drug Administration user fee agreements.    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Reauthorization Act of 2017 renews FDA's authority to collect user fees...

NASHVILLE, April 13 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price released a final rule on health insurance market stabilization: “Today’s action by Secretary Price is an important step to begin stabilizing the Affordable...

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 5 – At today’s Senate health committee hearing, Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said that Dr. Scott Gottlieb has “impressive qualifications from nearly every perspective” and is the right person to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its “vital mission” for...

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 4 — At the Senate health committee’s second hearing on the reauthorization of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) user fee agreements, Chairman Alexander (R-Tenn.) said that a timely reauthorization is “integral to helping patients and delivering on the promise of 21st Century...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., praised today’s decision by the Trump administration to delay implementation of the Obama administration’s burdensome “fiduciary rule” that would hinder access to retirement planning for middle-income American families. The rule was...

WASHINGTON, March 30 — The Senate’s labor committee today favorably reported out the nomination of Alexander Acosta to become the next United States Secretary of Labor. Acosta’s nomination is now ready for consideration by the full Senate. “The Secretary of Labor should really be called the Secretary of the Workforce...

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 29 – Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today introduced legislation to rescue Americans with Affordable Care Act subsidies who have zero options for health insurance on the exchanges for the 2018 plan year. “There are 34,000 Knoxville area residents who rely on an Affordable Care Act...

WASHINGTON, March 27 — President Trump today signed a resolution to rescind the Obama administration’s final regulation implementing accountability provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) – a victory for local school boards over a National School Board and an affirmation that Congress writes the law, not the Department...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Trump today signed a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act that blocks a flawed Obama administration regulation related to teacher preparation programs. Introduced in the House by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), chairman of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, and...