Washington, D.C. – This Congress, Democrats have shut down the government three times and forced the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history. During these shutdowns, federal law enforcement officers and agents were forced to continue carrying out critical national security and public safety missions while Democrats used federal employees as leverage to score political points with the radical left.
This should never be allowed to happen again. That is why I co-sponsored the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act. This would take shutdowns off the table and require Congress to stay in Washington until our work is finished. Upon a lapse in government funding, the bill would implement an automatic continuing resolution on rolling 14-day periods, based on the most current spending levels enacted in the previous fiscal year and restrict taxpayer-funded allowances for official business.
Congress must end reckless government shutdowns that waste taxpayer dollars, disrupt essential services, and undermine the men and women who keep our borders secure and our country running.
Read more here.
Weekly Rundown
It was an honor to speak at the Tennessee Valley Corridor (TVC) National Summit about why Tennessee must lead in AI, quantum, and nuclear to ensure American dominance in these emerging technologies. I discussed the opportunities ahead of us in emerging technologies, how Congress is supporting these developments, and why Tennessee is better prepared than any other state to secure America’s tech dominance. I encouraged audience members to think about the ways that we can increase collaboration between all of the vital Tennessee institutions. When it comes to national security, we need the brightest minds working together. That is why this annual summit is such a wonderful event, and why I am so optimistic about the future of our state and our nation. See more here.
To make it crystal clear that illegal aliens must be subject to detention without bond pending removal from the United States, I co-sponsored the Detention Authority Clarification Act. This is in response to split decisions by federal courts across the country about what should already be clear—all who have entered the United States illegally are subject to mandatory detention. Illegal aliens who gained entry under Biden’s open border continue to endanger Americans’ lives and must be removed as swiftly as possible. The Detention Authority Clarification Act would ensure that these individuals must be detained without bond until they are promptly deported and are not allowed to evade the consequences of their crimes. Read more here.
On Tuesday morning, I led a roundtable with the Greater Memphis Chamber to discuss the progress we’ve made in reducing crime. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the Memphis Safe Task Force, we have seen record numbers in crime reduction since we began the mission to make Memphis Safe Again. This is just the beginning. We will not stop working until Memphis becomes the safest city in America. See more here.
Constituent Services Highlight
Recently, my casework team heard from an 89-year-old Cordova resident and his wife, who had been waiting since December 2024 for 60 $1,000 U.S. Series I bonds to be transferred to a family living trust account. My office reached out to the U.S. Department of Treasury on their behalf, and within two weeks, they received a notice that their bonds had been successfully transferred. My office is always happy to help Tennesseans work through federal issues to cut unnecessary red tape.
Marsha’s Roundup
ICYMI
Last week, I led a hearing examining the rapid expansion of sports betting in the United States, the industry’s growing impact on the integrity of games, and the need to protect vulnerable young people from gambling addiction. Click here to watch the full hearing. Read more here.
Memorial Day is an opportunity to pause and reflect on the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedoms. Few states feel the weight of this day more deeply than Tennessee. Read my weekly column on this here.
