Congressman Marsha Blackburn
7th District of Tennessee
Washington, D.C. – I am so pleased that the National Defense Authorization Act passed the House this week with an overwhelming majority. Making sure our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to defend our country is one of my top priorities.
When Fort Campbell and the 101st Airborne expressed how painful budget cuts had been, I went to bat for them. We know how important that base is to military readiness.
I’m glad to be able to say that this bill includes the largest pay raise for our military in over 9 years.
It also increases topline funding to support the troops, rebuild our military, and increase military readiness.
I thank Chairman Thornberry for getting this bipartisan bill through. And to all our men and women in uniform reading this – I thank you for your service.
HHS Title X Funding
This week, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced that taxpayers will no longer be forced to subsidize abortion providers like Planned Parenthood through grants from the Title X family planning program. The rule does not cut a single dollar from family planning, but will no longer send taxpayer-funded grants to organizations that perform abortions.
Instead, these funds will be directed to providers who do not perform abortions, such as community health centers and other federally qualified health centers, including those in rural areas.
The Trump administration’s decision is a victory in our fight to defend the sanctity of life. Last month, I joined 192 of my colleagues in the House and Senate in sending a letter to Sec. Azar requesting that a rule like this be released, and I am so grateful that he took these long-overdue steps to protect unborn babies. You can read a copy of the letter HERE
Americans Deserve a Right To Try
On Wednesday, I was thrilled to vote to pass the Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act, which had already passed through the Senate and has been sent to the White House for President Trump to sign into law.
You may recall that the President mentioned the need to pass right-to-try legislation in this year’s State of the Union address, but the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee (which I serve on) has been working on this issue for several years. I am so glad that patients will soon have access to potentially life-saving treatments and am eager to see the bill signed into law.
Regulatory Relief for Community Banks
This week I voted for, and the House passed a bill that provides sweeping regulatory relief for our community banks and smaller financial institutions. S. 2155, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, is a much-needed bipartisan solution that reforms the Dodd-Frank Act to provide targeted regulatory relief for community banks, while increasing consumer, veteran, and investor protections in our financial system.
Most of us recall the 2008 financial crisis all too well – and while Dodd-Frank was sold to us as a solution to reform Wall Street – what it ended up doing was leaving American consumers with less protections, fewer choices, and small banks crushed under tens of thousands of pages of Washington red-tape.
The law should have been called “Frank-Dodd,” so it would have the nickname “Fraud.” Fortunately, Congress has come together and taken action to reverse this regulatory onslaught. Originating in the House as the Financial CHOICE Act, this bill
You can read more on this issue HERE
Bipartisan Prison Reform
The FIRST STEP Act passed the House this week, and I am proud to have supported it. This legislation makes much needed improvements to our prison system. It strengthens public safety by creating s a post-sentencing risk-assessment system to help and assess an inmate’s risk of committing crimes after being released from prison.
Importantly, these programs will not be available for inmates who have committed more serious offenses. Reducing recidivism has always been a goal of the prison system, and this reform will help aid that effort. The majority of prisoners will be released eventually, and it is important that we give them the tools to succeed so that they do not fall back into their old habits.
Through educational and vocational programs, we may be able to turn these individuals into productive members of society.
Good Sam Bill
Sincere thanks to Senator Lamar Alexander, who this week advanced in his Senate Committee part of my Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act. It was included in a bill to reauthorize our country’s emergency preparedness laws.
My bill would allow health care professionals to volunteer their services across state lines in times of national emergencies, and its passage is long overdue. I appreciate so much Sen. Alexander’s work to ensure our country is prepared in times of emergencies and to ensure that these Good Samaritan volunteers are able to serve their neighbors in times of great need. You can watch the Senator’s opening remarks HERE
