Washington, D.C. – Nationwide, crime is plummeting. Since last year, homicides are down 18 percent, reaching their lowest rate since at least 1900—126 years.
Meanwhile, burglaries have dropped by 13 percent, robberies by 17 percent, and carjackings by 47 percent. This trend is a victory for the American people—and a direct result of President Donald J. Trump’s deployment of federal law enforcement resources where they are needed most, including right here in Tennessee.
When I talk to Tennesseans, they want to make certain that our laws are enforced, that criminals are locked up, and that their communities are safe. With the Memphis Safe Task Force and initiatives across the country, the Trump administration is delivering exactly that. Last week, I had the honor of visiting the Memphis Safe Task Force joint command center and meeting with leaders of the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, and Shelby County police departments.
Their message was clear: By coordinating local, state, and federal resources, the task force has been remarkably effective at getting violent criminals off the streets and transforming entire neighborhoods for the better.
Read my weekly column on this here.
Weekly Rundown
On Wednesday, Senator Blumenthal and I sent a letter to TikTok regarding a recent report that the social media company endangered children by knowingly withholding an algorithmic safety measure from millions of American users to determine whether the safeguard would reduce engagement on its platform. In the letter, we demanded a prompt response to a detailed list of questions, including whether TikTok conducted a risk assessment before the experiment, what the results of the experiment were, and how many U.S. users TikTok has placed in experiments that withheld safety features. The Kids Online Safety Act, which I lead alongside Senator Blumenthal, would require social media platforms like TikTok to design their products with child safety in mind. Click here to read the full letter.
Taxpayers should not be spending a single penny on radical gender ideology that harms our kids. That’s why I recently joined several Republican colleagues in introducing the Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act, which would prohibit the use of federal funds for any research or publication promoting gender transitions for minors. The legislation would shield American children from permanent medical and psychological damage and support President Trump’s efforts to keep tax dollars from funding child mutilation. Read more here.
This month, several of my colleagues and I introduced the Title IX Clarification Act, which would ensure Title IX anti-discrimination requirements tied to federal education funding are based on biological sex and not “sexual orientation or gender identity.” The Biden administration weaponized Title IX to force women to compete with men in sports and allow men to invade women’s spaces. Thankfully, President Trump restored common sense in Title IX, and now Congress must codify these protections for women into law to prevent future abuse.
Read more here.
Constituent Services Highlight
Since 1992, the USDA’s David Scott 1890 Scholarship Program has provided full tuition, fees, books, and room and board to students pursuing agricultural degrees at historically black land-grant universities. One 18-year-old Spring Hill resident who recently graduated high school applied for the scholarship in the hopes of studying animal science and becoming a veterinarian.
She also had been working three jobs over the summer to try and save enough for college funds and dorm supplies. She reached out to my office, which immediately inquired about the status of her application. Days later, the constituent received a phone call from USDA, which reported wonderful news: she had been approved for the scholarship. Now, her dream of becoming a veterinarian is a little closer to coming true.
Marsha’s Roundup
ICYMI
My Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) recently passed the Senate Commerce Committee, marking a major victory for the courageous families who have refused to give up on protecting America’s children. The Senate has repeatedly shown that there is broad, bipartisan support for a version of KOSA that creates a duty of care to protect kids from online predators, addictive algorithms, and harmful product design, and we look forward to getting this bill to the President’s desk. Read more here.
I led my colleagues in introducing the Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act to stop the DAR from erasing biological reality by allowing men to become members of the organization. This bill would amend the organization’s federal charter to ensure the DAR is reserved for the real daughters of the American Revolution. Read more here.
