Ranking Member's Press

Washington, D.C., April 30 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the committee that oversees labor policy, today released the following statement on his vote against moving to the Democrats’ minimum wage proposal: “Surely Senate Democrats could come up with a better jobs program than one that the...

*** “On the most important issue facing the country, surely we can do better than the stale, bankrupt idea that according to the Congressional Budget Office would destroy 500,000 jobs.” –Lamar Alexander Washington, D.C., April 30 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the committee that oversees...

*** “In his new book, Dr. Weil suggests the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division—the division he is nominated to lead—could look for ways to expand its current interpretations of labor law and should target employers who use certain business models.” –Lamar Alexander   Washington, D.C., April...

NASHVILLE, April 22 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate education committee and former U.S. Secretary of Education under George H.W. Bush, released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a Michigan ballot initiative banning affirmative action in admissions decisions at...

MEMPHIS, April 21 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate labor committee, released the following statement on the announcement today by the United Auto Workers that the union is withdrawing its objections to the lost election at the Chattanooga, Tenn., Volkswagen plant: “The employees have made...

“Republicans want to enable and empower you. We want to be the iPhone party. We believe government ought to be a platform that gives you more opportunity and freedom to create a happier, more prosperous and safer life. Usually in Washington, Republicans are the enablers and Democrats are the mandators.” NASHVILLE – U.S. Senator...

Washington, D.C., April 17 – U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today sent a letter to Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson urging the administration to continue asking the existing health insurance coverage questions in the Census Bureau’s annual survey, along with its planned new...

Crossville, Tenn., April 16 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate health committee, today released the following statement on reports that the administration is revising the Census Bureau’s annual Current Population Survey questions on health insurance coverage: “After unilaterally decreeing...

WASHINGTON, April 11 – In a discussion on the floor of the United States Senate (VIDEO HERE), Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.) last night warned that the unionization of college athletes, as permitted by a recent National Labor Relations Board regional director’s decision, would destroy college sports...

WASHINGTON, April 10 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate health committee, released the following statement on reports that U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius will resign and that the president will likely nominate Office of Management and Budget Director Sylvia Burwell to...

*** “Enabling states and parents will get better results than creating a national school board for early childhood education.” –Lamar Alexander Washington, D.C., April 10 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate education committee, today said he was developing legislation that would...

Washington, D.C., April 9 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate labor committee, today released the following statement on his vote against Senate Democrats’ so-called “Paycheck Fairness” legislation that would increase litigation and limit the ability of employers to give working...

WASHINGTON, April 7 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on his vote against Democratic legislation that would extend unemployment benefits without considering Republican proposals to help unemployed Americans: “This bill does not contain a single proposal to help grow the economy or encourage...

Washington, D.C., April 7 – A group of 18 Republican senators today submitted comments opposing the National Labor Relations Board’s proposed rule to speed up workplace union elections, which “poses significant harm to businesses and workers alike in the United States.” The senators write that the rule is essentially a...

WASHINGTON D.C., April 2 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate health committee, today commended passage by the House of Representatives of legislation to continue the successful children’s hospitals graduate medical education program that supports the training of pediatricians at children’s...

*** “Instead of a law like the one proposed here, which would literally reduce the flexibility that employers can provide their employees to do things like go to their child’s football game or the school play. I think we need more flexibility.” –Lamar Alexander Washington, D.C., April 1 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander...

The president is waging a public-relations campaign about income inequality in this country, but rather than focus on growing the economy and encouraging businesses to hire, this administration has fallen back on stale, bankrupt ideas that don’t help workers achieve more. The latest is a rule proposed by the National Labor Relations Board to...

*** “The average community college student in America is receiving about $1,500 more in grants and scholarships than it costs in tuition and fees…. The average in-state tuition and fees [at public four-year universities] are about $8,900, and those students receive on average $5,800 in grants and scholarships, leaving them to pay...

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 27 – Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-TN), House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN), and Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Phil Roe (R-TN), today introduced legislation that will protect the rights of...

WASHINGTON, March 26 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement on the ruling by a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board that Northwestern University football players are employees eligible to form a...