Washington, D.C. – It was a historic week in the Senate for reasons that had nothing to do with the impeachment inquiry.
On Wednesday, I became the first Republican woman ever to chair a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Thank you, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), for asking me to take the lead as the Committee considered four judicial nominees, including Stephen Vaden of West Tennessee.

Raising The Bar: Confirming More Judges
Last week, I joined President Donald Trump at the White House to celebrate our success in confirming a record number of federal judges since 2017. And, wouldn’t you know it, this week we confirmed a few more, raising the grand total to 162! My colleagues and I on the Senate Judiciary Committee will stay focused on confirming well-qualified, constitutionalist judges.
Visiting Our Service Members Overseas

This past weekend, I paid a visit to our Tennessee service members deployed overseas. In Djibouti and Somalia, I witnessed the power of our military and the progress we’ve made on the ground. It is my hope that my work on the Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees honors the sacrifices made by our veterans.
Fighting For Free Speech In Turkey
Freedom of expression is an integral part of who we are as a nation. I am deeply concerned about the Turkish government’s crackdown on dissent and the free exchange of ideas in northeast Syria. If Turkish officials are suppressing Syrian voices, they must be held accountable.
Protecting our Kurdish partners remains a priority, which is why Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and I introduced a bipartisan resolution to encourage Turkey to change course and cease their rampant abuse of human rights.
Learn more here.
Holding Big Tech Accountable
Big Tech’s bad behavior has their customers asking a lot of questions, including when and if it is ethical for companies to collect and utilize consumer data. Mandating an opt-in consent notification may be the key to this privacy puzzle, because it would put the power back in the hands of consumers.
On Thursday, I led the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Tech Task Force meeting to hear from business executives and thought leaders on this issue.
Stay In Touch
As a reminder, you can reach any of my six offices in Tennessee to share a concern or request assistance with a federal agency. The phone number for my Washington D.C. office is 202.224.3344, the same number previously used by Senators Bob Corker and Bill Frist.
Be sure to follow my work on behalf of Tennesseans on social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/marshablackburn
Twitter: @MarshaBlackburn
Instagram: @MarshaBlackburn
My Best,
Marsha