Ranking Member's Press

“The human costs of this epidemic are too high, and I hear about the challenges of dealing with this epidemic at home in Tennessee, particularly in East Tennessee where I am from. ...[b]ut, the truth is, this problem affects all states and is frontline issue for communities all over.” WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 8 – The...

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 3 – Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), following Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s announcement that the Senate would take up the bipartisan, bicameral agreement to fix No Child Left Behind next week, said they look forward to a...

“Six years ago, Republicans warned the president about the disastrous consequences of Obamacare for millions of Americans. Unfortunately for these Americans, Republicans were right when we said that Obamacare would burden state Medicaid budgets, increase premiums and taxes, and hurt jobs. We need to start over and go step by step toward the...

“A bipartisan compromise has emerged from the Senate and House … [that] would represent the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter-century.” – Wall Street Journal editorial, 11/30 “Gone are No Child Left Behind’s proficiency benchmarks and mandated federal interventions. The Education...

WASHINGTON, December 2 – Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on House passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act – legislation to fix No Child Left Behind – by a vote of 359 to 64: “The real winners in today’s House vote are 50 million children...

WASHINGTON, December 1 – Five and a half years after the White House health care summit at Blair House, Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today spoke on the Senate floor to discuss what Republicans warned the president would happen if Obamacare became law – and to outline what this “historic...

WASHINGTON, November 30 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate education committee, released the following statement on the National Governors Association’s full endorsement of the Every Student Succeeds Act: “The National Governors Association's full endorsement of our bipartisan legislation to fix...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today bipartisan leaders on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions released the final legislative text for improving K-12 education and replacing No Child Left Behind. The final bill is being released after legislative proposals passed separately...

WASHINGTON, D.C. | November 19, 2015 - Today, the House-Senate conference committee reached agreement on a proposal to improve K-12 education and replace No Child Left Behind. The agreement represents a compromise between the House-passed Student Success Act (H.R. 5) and the Senate-passed Every Child Achieves Act of...

WASHINGTON, November 18 – The chairman of the Senate health committee today urged full Senate passage of two pieces of bipartisan public health legislation, after they passed out of committee, which he said are proof of the committee’s “record of results-oriented bipartisanship.” So far this Congress, the Senate...

“There are a lot of people counting on us to get a result: 50 million children and 3.4 million teachers in 100,000 public schools.” WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 18 – At the meeting today of the joint House and Senate conference committee to fix No Child Left Behind, the chairman of the Senate education committee said that...

WASHINGTON, D.C, November 18 – The chairman and ranking member of the Senate education committee today praised the Senate for voting to appoint all 22 members of the Senate HELP committee as conferees to work with members appointed by the House in a conference to fix No Child Left Behind. Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and...

“I want to hear what you think the FDA can do to build its capacity and fix the impact of its regulations so that the FDA is a partner in innovation, rather than a barrier.” WASHINGTON, D.C., November 17 – At today’s hearing to consider the nomination of Dr. Robert Califf to head the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), along with Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), issued the following joint statement on efforts...

CHATTANOOGA, Nov. 9 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today told students and administrators gathered at Chattanooga State Community College that the “number one obstacle” to students applying for Tennessee Promise is the “dreaded FAFSA,” which the senator pledged to simplify. Alexander said...

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 6 – Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act this Sunday, Nov. 8:   “Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the original Higher Education Act, which gave...

WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) sent a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Andrew M. Slavitt questioning the administration on the financial viability and...

“Already, there is an enormous response to try to help: at the state level, through the private sector, and from the federal government. As a former Governor, I know that states have traditionally been on the forefront.” – Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 29 – Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander...

WASHINGTON, D.C, October 28 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said that the 23 percent rate increase for Tennessee’s “benchmark” health care plan under Obamacare will “hurt those Tennesseans that this law was intended to help.” Alexander, chairman of the Senate health committee, continued:...

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 28 – Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) made the following statement on results released today from the 2015 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), often called the “Nation’s Report Card”: “Today’s results from the Nation’s Report...