Washington, D.C. – Under Joe Biden’s failed leadership, the United States witnessed the largest wave of illegal immigration in our history, forcing communities across Tennessee and America to bear the consequences.
Since President Donald J. Trump took office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has deported more than 65,000 illegal aliens, primarily criminal illegal aliens including violent MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gang members and thousands charged or convicted of assault, weapon offenses, sex crimes, and murder.
This marks a complete reversal of the Biden administration’s open-border policies that welcomed criminals and turned every state, including Tennessee, into a border state. Unfortunately, Democrats are making clear that they would rather side with criminal illegal aliens than American citizens. In contrast, Republicans are standing for safety and the rule of law.
Read more about this in my weekly column here.
Weekly Rundown
Birth tourism is a booming multi-million-dollar industry, and foreign nationals have been exploiting our nation’s immigration laws for far too long. This week, I introduced my Ban Birth Tourism Act to close loopholes that enable foreign nationals, including those from adversaries like Communist China and Russia, from buying American citizenship for their children. Read more about this here.
With the rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence, artists and creators have begun to see their voices and likenesses used without their consent in videos and songs created as nearly indistinguishable replicas. I chaired a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on AI-generated deepfakes, where I discussed the importance of my NO FAKES Act to protect individuals and creators from deepfakes. During the hearing, Tennessee multi-platinum country music singer-songwriter, Martina McBride, called on Congress to pass the NO FAKES Act to provide a roadmap for AI and protect creators. Read more here.
This week, I wrote a letter calling for an investigation into Autel Energy, a Chinese electric vehicle charging startup, and its connections to the Chinese Communist Party. Autel Energy represents a national security risk to the United States given its access to consumer data and critical grid infrastructure, and the company has taken steps to cover up its ties to its Chinese-controlled parent company. Read more here.
The Senate unanimously passed my American Music Tourism Act that would promote and support the rapidly growing music tourism industry. Music tourism has a huge impact on Tennessee’s economy, and we need to ensure that fans from all over the world can continue to celebrate our state’s rich history of music for generations to come. Read more here.
To maintain global leadership, we must regain our competitive edge in the development of transformative technologies. Read more here.
Marsha’s Roundup
ICYMI
Last week I led the entire Tennessee delegation in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of the Air Force Acting Secretary Troy E. Meink, urging him to designate McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base as the seventh main operating base for the KC-46 Pegasus. Strategically situated in East Tennessee, McGhee Tyson ANGB provides rapid access to key operational areas within the continental United States and abroad. Read more here.
The United States must end its dependence on Communist China for semiconductor production. The Senate’s passage of my Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act is a win for Tennessee manufacturers who rely on semiconductors to support local and global supply chains. We need to work with local leaders to encourage domestic semiconductor production to protect our supply chain, economy, and national security.
