Chairman's Press
Alexander Announces Enzi, Isakson, Paul Will Serve as HELP Subcommittee Chairmen for the 116th Congress
01.04.19
Alexander Welcomes Sens. Mitt Romney, Mike Braun and Jacky Rosen to HELP Committee
WASHINGTON, January 4, 2017 - Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today welcomed Senators Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, after Senate leaders announced committee assignments for the 116th Congress: "I welcome Senators Mitt Romney, Mike Braun and Jacky Rosen to the HELP committee and look forward to working with them on reducing health care costs for Americans, making the cost of college wor… Continue Reading
12.20.18
Chairman Alexander: This Congress, HELP Committee Produced 18 Laws Including “Landmark” Opioid Legislation to Combat Nation’s Most Pressing Public Health Crisis
WASHINGTON, December 20, 2018 - U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said, "over the last two years, this committee has produced solutions that will have an impact on the lives of virtually every American." Chairman Alexander continued: "Most recently, in October, President Trump signed into law what Senate Majority Leader McConnell called 'landmark' legislation to fight the opioid crisis. President Trump said that this new … Continue Reading
12.15.18
Chairman Alexander Statement on Texas v. Azar Court Case
MARYVILLE, Tenn., December 15, 2018 - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate's health committee, today released the following statement on the ruling in Texas v. Azar: "If the U.S. Supreme Court eventually were to agree that Obamacare is unconstitutional-which seems unlikely, however poorly the law was written-I am confident that any new federal law replacing it will continue to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions who buy health insurance." ###… Continue Reading
12.12.18
Alexander at Axios Event: The Debate Should Move From Health Insurance to Health Care Costs
"I'm going to focus on making the system more of a market, getting rid of barriers, and-if I could-find a way to make it possible for those of us who buy health care services every day to know the price of what we're paying for." - Sen. Lamar Alexander *You can watch Senator Alexander's discussion with Axios' Mike Allen here* WASHINGTON, December 12, 2018 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said the health care debate should "move from health insurance to health … Continue Reading
12.11.18
Alexander, Bennet Bill to Help Prevent Premature Births to Become Law
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 11, 2018 - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation sponsored by Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) to reduce infant deaths and improve infant health by continuing research and education programs aimed at preventing preterm births. The Senate passed the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act on September 12, 2018. The Senate health committee approved the legislation on June 26, 2018. "In Tenne… Continue Reading
12.11.18
Chairman Alexander: Up to Half of Health Care Spending is Unnecessary
** Click here for video of Senator Alexander's remarks ** "The five hearings we held reminded us of something else we should agree on: one major reason for the unnecessarily high cost of health care is that the health care system does not operate with the discipline and cost saving benefits of a real market. Too many barriers to innovation drive up costs. And most Americans have no idea of the true price of the health care services they buy-which also drives up costs." -Sen. Lamar Alexander … Continue Reading
11.30.18
Alexander: Goal is for Electronic Health Records to Become What Patients, Doctors Had Hoped For
"I hope, more than anything, we see consumers who say, 'Thank you, for my electronic health care records, this is amazing, it's simple.' People say that about how easy it is to make an airline reservation." - Sen. Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, D.C., November 30, 2018 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) this week said he hopes that implementation of the 21st Century Cures law will mean electronic health records become what patients and doctors and hospitals had hoped for … Continue Reading
11.29.18
HELP Committee Concludes Productive 115th Congress by Passing Five Additional Bills and Approving Four More Qualified Nominations
WASHINGTON, November 29, 2018 - The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) today concluded a productive 115th Congress by passing five additional bills and approving four more qualified nominations. At today's markup, which was the committee's final of this Congress, Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said, "the work this Committee has done over the last two years will have an impact on the lives of virtually every American." "In October, President Trump signed into … Continue Reading
11.28.18
Alexander: Washington Should Get Out of the Way of Private Sector Innovation to Reduce Health Care Costs
"Going forward, I plan to take what we've learned today and from our previous four hearings, and ask leading health care policy experts for specific ideas on how the federal government can reduce the cost of health care." WASHINGTON, D.C., November 28, 2018 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said Washington should get out of the way of private companies that are "disrupting the health care system" with cost-cutting innovations. "The cost of health care is an iss… Continue Reading
11.16.18
Alexander Statement on Secretary DeVos’ Proposal to Reform Title IX
WASHINGTON, November 16, 2018- U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate's education committee, today released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Education's proposal to clarify Title IX, a law protecting people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance, so that schools will more fully understand their roles and responsibilities to better comply with the law: "Secretary DeVos has begun the … Continue Reading
11.13.18
Alexander: New App Makes Applying for Federal Aid for College like Booking An Airline Ticket
"We have apps on our phones to do anything from booking an airplane ticket to placing an Amazon order, so while it may seem very ordinary to fill out the FAFSA on an app, this is the first year it's possible. There are still too many questions on the form. But this is an important step to make it simpler for 20 million American families each year to apply for student aid." --Lamar Alexander SEVIERVILLE, TENN., November 13, 2018 - Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.… Continue Reading
10.24.18
President Trump Signs Alexander Bill to Fight Opioid Crisis
"This is the most important new health care law this year. It deals with the nation's worst public health epidemic by helping stop deadly fentanyl from coming from China to America by mail, finding new non-addictive pain killers, reducing the supply of opioids and providing more opportunities for treatment. During this year, Congress has appropriated $8.5 billion to implement this legislation and support communities, families, law enforcement and medical personnel who are fighting this crisis." … Continue Reading
10.22.18
Alexander: Trump Administration Announcement Will Help States Lower Health Insurance Premiums
WASHINGTON, October 22, 2018 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the Trump Administration's newly released guidance for Obamacare's section 1332 waivers: "Secretary Azar and Administrator Verma today are giving states a better tool to help lower Obamacare health insurance premiums, by giving them more freedom in the law's 1332 State Innovation Waiver. In four bipartisan health committee hearings I chaired last fall, virtually ev… Continue Reading
10.15.18
Alexander: “Strong, Bipartisan Congressional Support” for Trump Administration Step to Add Prices to Prescription Drug Ads
Maryville, Tenn., October 15, 2018 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the Trump Administration's proposed rule to add prices to prescription drug advertisements: "There is strong, bipartisan congressional support for this Trump Administration step to reduce prescription drug prices. The more consumers know about drug prices the more likely those prices are to be lower. I suggest that pharmaceutical companies expend their energy… Continue Reading
10.10.18
Alexander: New Law Will Allow Pharmacists To Help Patients Pay Less for Prescriptions
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 10, 2018 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) praised a new law led by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) that will ban "gag" clauses that prevent pharmacists from helping patients pay less for their prescriptions. Alexander was at the White House today when President Trump signed the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act, sponsored by Senator Collins. "If you walk into a pharmacy and ask for the prescription your doctor has written for an antibioti… Continue Reading
10.10.18
Alexander: Democrats Try to Block 1.7 Million Uninsured Americans from Buying More Affordable Health Insurance in 2019
"Even after the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, President Obama and the Democratic Congress thought it was a good enough idea to allow these short-term plans to continue that they kept them in the law." You can watch Senator Alexander's floor remarks here. WASHINGTON, October 10, 2018-Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said lower-cost short-term health insurance plans, which Democrats today tried to block Americans from buying, were available to Americans… Continue Reading
10.03.18
Alexander: Senate Sends to President Opioids Legislation Called “Landmark” by Leader McConnell
WASHINGTON, October 3, 2018 - The United States Senate today passed by a vote of 98-1, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has called the bill, which is now heading to the President's desk for his signature to become law, "landmark" opioids legislation. "This legislation represents the work of 8 committees in the House and 5 committees in the Senate who have worked together to reach consensus about… Continue Reading
10.03.18
Alexander: Senate Sends to President Opioids Legislation Called “Landmark” by Leader McConnell
WASHINGTON, October 3, 2018 - The United States Senate today passed by a vote of 98-1, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has called the bill, which is now heading to the President's desk for his signature to become law, "landmark" opioids legislation. "This legislation represents the work of 8 committees in the House and 5 committees in the Senate who have worked together to reach consensus about… Continue Reading
09.28.18
Alexander: House Passes What Senate Leader McConnell Calls “Landmark” Opioids Legislation, 393 to 8
WASHINGTON, September 27, 2018 - The House of Representatives today passed by a vote of 393 to 8 "The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018" sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has called it "landmark" opioids legislation. "This legislation represents the work of 8 committees in the House and 5 committees in the Senate who have worked together to reach consensus about how to help address the opioid crisis which is affecting virtually ever… Continue Reading
