Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, I hosted a financial technology roundtable at FirstBank in Franklin, Tennessee. Tennessee has long led the way in the financial sector, where innovation is thriving.
There’s a reason Tennessee has been the #1 state in the Southeast for headquarters, finance, and tech job growth since 2011, according to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I am working on policies that encourage financial innovation in Tennessee and around the country.
Weekly Rundown
I co-sponsored legislation to approve the first trade agreement negotiated under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative On 21st-Century Trade, and our bill was signed into law on Monday. This is a crucial step in supporting and bolstering our economic ties with Taiwan. As Communist China becomes increasingly aggressive around Taiwan and in the South China Sea, our relationship with freedom-loving Taiwan will become even more critical. We must continue to stand with Taiwan against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in order to prevent the CCP from achieving global domination.
With opioid overdose deaths skyrocketing across the country, particularly among Medicaid beneficiaries, it is essential that we take action to ensure patients are not recklessly prescribed these drugs. We need to ensure that Medicaid programs across the country have the tools to treat those who have experienced non-fatal opioid-related overdoses properly. I introduced the IMPROVE Addiction Care Act which would help providers understand their patients’ history with opioids and make certain they receive safe treatment.
It is vital that we provide high-quality and all-encompassing palliative and hospice care to those in need. I introduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), legislation to bolster the palliative care and hospice workforce and meet the growing need for care by investing in training, education, and research. Bolstering this essential workforce is especially critical at a time of record burnout among these clinicians and an aging population. PCHETA would promote physician training, enhance workforce development, and create incentives for health professionals to teach or practice in these crucial fields.
Marsha’s Roundup
ICYMI
- As students return to school this month, the internet will be their constant companion. When your child is online, they are the product, and websites like Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat are trying every method possible to harvest and sell your kids’ data. That’s why I am working to protect kids and teens online, and raising as much awareness as I can about the various steps you can take to protect their “virtual you.” Read more here.
- A strong America is an America that can deter her enemies by putting her readiness, capabilities, and determination on display. By passing the Senate version of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, the Senate has brought our nation one crucial step closer toward building a safer world. In this year’s bill, I was able to secure many victories for the Volunteer State that will boost our military and research installations and give our servicemembers the tools they need to keep our homeland safe. Read more here.
- For those of you who are planning on traveling internationally, please make sure your passports are current. At this time, the State Department is taking months to process passport requests. If you have any questions about this process, please call any of our state offices for additional information.
- If you’re planning a visit to our nation’s capital this summer or fall, please contact our office as soon as possible to see which tours are available. Tours with the White House and Capitol tend to fill up months in advance. You can register for a Capitol tour using the Capitol Visitor Center portal.
- Is there something you want to see in the Blackburn Report? Email my office to share!
