Ranking Member's Press

WASHINGTON, February 8 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and committee members Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), today introduced legislation to advance urgently needed research to address the opioid crisis. The Advancing Cutting-Edge (ACE) Research Act...

WASHINGTON, February 8, 2018—Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Dr. Brett Giroir to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services: “It is bewildering that Americans were forced...

“Before we turn to today’s focus, I wanted to say that later today, I, along with Ranking Member Murray, and Senators Young and Hassan, will introduce legislation to help address the opioid crisis. This committee plans to hold a markup on this bill, as well as other opioids legislation, as soon as the end of March.” WASHINGTON,...

WASHINGTON, February 8, 2018—U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate health committee, today released the following statement on the committee's Food and Drug Administration agenda for the spring: "We plan to put out a staff discussion draft on cosmetics reform by...

“The Appropriations Committee will consider whether Congress should appropriate more taxpayer dollars for student aid, but in the meantime, Congress can also help students afford college by better spending the $28 billion in grants and $92 billion in loans we spend annually. This would mean simplifying student aid, redirecting existing...

WASHINGTON, February 1 — U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate education committee, today released a staff white paper and asked for feedback on federal accountability concepts and proposals to ensure that students at our 6,000 colleges and universities are receiving degrees worth their time and money. The Senate...

WASHINGTON, January 30, 2018—Senate health and labor committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said that Labor Secretary Acosta’s proposed rule on Association Health Plans “could lower the cost of health insurance premiums and finally make affordable health insurance available to the 11 million American small business men...

“There are two groups of borrowers repaying student loans: nearly half—46 percent – who are repaying on their student loans and a little more than half – 54 percent – who are in default or are not making payments on time… The taxpayer should be concerned not just about borrowers in default, but also about the...

  “[The Every Student Succeeds Act] is an especially important law to the members of this committee. We held 27 hearings, spent countless hours working out our differences and reaching a consensus: Continue the law’s important measurements of academic progress of students but restore to states, school districts, classroom teachers...

“Our reauthorization and today’s hearing is focused on students. Today we will look at how we can help colleges provide an education that works for every student – whether it is an 18-year-old college freshman, a mom returning to school to finish her bachelors while also working full-time, or a 25 year old low-income student who...

*Click the above photo or follow this link for video of Senate education committee Chairman Alexander discussing school choice* WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 23 – Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement commemorating National School Choice Week of 2018: “This is school choice...

“The law helps  protect us from the full range of public health threats – from natural disasters to bioterror attacks to outbreaks of infectious diseases. Tennessee has seen already heartbreaking stories this winter as the flu has spread across the state and this country.” WASHINGTON, D.C., January 23, 2018—Senate...

“Today’s hearing is to see if we can reach a result on making a more effective system of grants, loans and repayments plans. This is a complicated system for students, which leads to confusion about the aid and repayment options they are eligible for and ultimately makes it harder for them to get that aid.” WASHINGTON, January 18,...

“Here are two things I am hoping to learn… First, when 100 million Americans live with pain, 25 million of them with chronic or severe pain, why is it not a good idea to continue to find the so-called Holy Grail of medicine, a non-addictive pain medicine? And, second, if stronger communities are the ultimate solution to this...

NASHVILLE, January 8, 2018 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today joined President Trump at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Nashville. “The president is absolutely right to be focused on the needs of rural Tennessee and Tennessee farmers. For too long, our farmers have been overregulated and the needs of our...

MARYVILLE, January 4, 2018 — Senate health and labor committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said “the Department of Labor’s proposed health insurance rule could make insurance available to 11 million self-employed or small business employees—like farmers, or songwriters, or small businessmen and...

NASHVILLE, January 2, 2018 — United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the announcement by United States Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that he will not seek re-election in 2018: “Orrin Hatch’s gift to the Senate and to the country has been his ability to maintain his principled...

“I am looking forward to continuing our work next year to help improve the lives of Americans by reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, ensuring states and local communities have the tools they need to combat the opioid crisis, and updating legislation to help our country respond to public health emergencies.”  WASHINGTON, D.C.,...

WASHINGTON, December 21, 2017 – U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today said the Senate will introduce legislation early next year that would help songwriters receive fair market compensation for their creative works and also improve an outdated music licensing process for digital music companies. U.S....

WASHINGTON, December 21, 2017 – United States Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) requesting the committee extend Medicare payments that are critical to small, rural hospitals in Tennessee.  “We are writing to request that you...