Republican Congress Getting Results for Tennesseans:

• This week, the U.S. Senate confirmed seven more of President Trump’s nominees to serve as federal district court judges. The Senate has now confirmed 60 of President Trump’s judicial nominees – which is historic – and it would not have been possible without a Republican president and a Republican majority in the Senate.
• The Music Modernization Act, legislation I cosponsored with Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, now has 63 cosponsors in the United States Senate, putting the bill on a path to becoming law and ensuring songwriters in Nashville and across the country are paid fair market value for their work.

Important news from this past week:

• Last weekend, my good friend and colleague, Senator John McCain, passed away. There is usually one United States Senator who stands above the rest and for the last several years that has been John McCain. His character, courage and devotion to our country have been an example for all of us. Honey and I send our prayers to Cindy and the entire McCain family.
• I was glad to travel to Phoenix this week to attend John McCain’s funeral. The Baptist church was filled. The service was touching and inspirational. The tributes from Arizonans from many walks of life helped me to understand even better this unique man. What came through loud and clear about John McCain was his passion for every issue he touched and for every friend he had. I am grateful to have been one of those friends.

Visiting Oak Ridge National Laboratory with Representative Marsha Blackburn, Representative Chuck Fleischmann, Lt. Governor Randy McNally

I was glad to be in Oak Ridge this week with Representatives Marsha Blackburn and Chuck Fleischmann, and Lieutenant Gov. Randy McNally. We toured Oak Ridge National Laboratory — where we were able to see firsthand the world’s fastest supercomputer — and the Y-12 National Security Complex. Congress is on track to provide the fourth consecutive year of record funding for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the Department’s largest science and energy laboratory. Earlier this year, Energy Secretary Rick Perry traveled to Oak Ridge, where he announced that the U.S. has regained the number one position in the world in supercomputing, over China and Japan. This is the result of ten years of bipartisan effort through three different Administrations, both Democratic and Republican, to make sure America is first in supercomputing.

Pushing for a zero tariff trade agreement with our allies

This week, President Trump announced a new trade agreement with Mexico. I will carefully review the proposed agreement to determine their effect on Tennesseans’ jobs, especially auto jobs, which account for one third of all Tennessee manufacturing jobs. I agree with the president that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) needs modernizing, but overall NAFTA has been good for Tennessee. Our state has nearly doubled its auto jobs since NAFTA was signed in 1994. It is important that a new NAFTA agreement also bring an end to the steel and aluminum tariffs which threaten Tennessee jobs. For example, about one half of every car is steel, and tariffs have driven steel prices up more than 40 percent since January. This will mean fewer fewer jobs, less wages, and higher prices for Tennesseans

Building broad, bipartisan support for legislation to support Tennessee’s songwriters

As of this week, the Music Modernization Act I’m sponsoring with Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah has 63 cosponsors in the United States Senate, putting the bill on a path to becoming law and ensuring songwriters in Nashville and across the country are paid fair market value for their work. We’re in the age of the Internet, and the laws governing what songwriters are paid are stuck in the age of the player piano. Our legislation addresses two of the greatest challenges facing songwriters: One is that the arrival of the Internet has meant that many songwriters aren’t paid royalties when their songs are played; and two, when they are paid, they aren’t paid a fair market value for their songs. Our legislation has the broad support of music creators, publishers, and digital music companies. The House passed the bill in April, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved it in June, and now it’s time for the full Senate to pass this bill.

The 55th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech

As a summer intern at the U.S. Justice Department, on August 28, 1963, I found a spot at the back of the crowd gathered on the Washington Mall to listen to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to “let freedom ring” from the Rockies to Lookout Mountain. Dr. King spoke of his dream of children not being judged “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” 55 years later, Dr. King’s words still inspire and challenge us. Every day, we must understand the importance of fulfilling Dr. King’s dream by working to improve schools in every neighborhood and by creating an environment that gives hope for every American to have the opportunity to achieve the American dream.

Below are some articles from this week I thought you would enjoy:

The Knoxville News Sentinel: Lamar Alexander, Marsha Blackburn tour ORNL, champion record funding

The Knoxville News Sentinel: John McCain remembered in Tennessee for 'feistiness' and bravery

Chattanoogan: Op-ed by Jennie Bartoletti: Our National Parks Are Desperate For Repairs

WKRN-ABC Nashville Channel 2: Senator Alexander: New NAFTA deal without Canada hurts TN auto industry

“Make big decisions in the calm.” – Dwight David Eisenhower

#230 in Lamar Alexander’s Little Plaid Book